Edward FitzGerald’s Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam
Edward FitzGerald’s Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. A Famous Poem and Its Influence. Edited by William H. Martin and Sandra Mason.
London [etc.], Anthem Press, 2011
170 p.
ISBN 9780857287700
Also available as eBook
The book presents the text of Edward FitzGerald’s three main versions of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam in an easily accessible form, together with a non-technical commentary on the origins, role and influence of the poem. The reader is given a chance to evaluate each of FitzGerald’s alternative texts as a whole and to examine how the poet presented his texts to the public and annotated the verses. The commentary discusses the lives and work of Khayyam and FitzGerald, and recounts the fascinating story the publication of the Rubaiyat and its rise to great fame and popularity, including a look at the wide-ranging spin-offs the poem has generated in art, music and other fields. The editors use the latest research to analyze the poem’s worldwide influence during the 150 years since its first appearance and the continuing relevance of the poem in the world of the 21st century. (From publisher's website)
Introduction, Acknowledgements, List of Illustrations; Part 1 – Edward FitzGerald’s Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam: First Edition (1859), Second Edition (1868), Fourth Edition (1879), Edward FitzGerald’s Notes, Edward FitzGerald’s Prefaces; Part 2 – The Rubaiyat, Its Story and Its Influence: Omar Khayyám and his Rubaiyat, Edward FitzGerald and his Rubaiyat, The Poem and Its Message, How the Rubaiyat Became Popular, Worldwide Spread and Influence, Spin-offs in Many Forms, Relevance to the Modern Day, Notes to Part 2; Part 3 – Further Notes and References, The Texts presented – Editors’ Notes, Quatrain Numbers in the Rubaiyat, Note References in the Rubaiyat, Glossary, Further Reading and Online Resources, Index