First scholarly edition of Philip James Bailey's epic masterpiece in a readable, modern volume

Offers a general introduction to Bailey's life and work with a thematic guide to the poem that made him famous Includes a range of critical responses from British and American press

Philip James Bailey's Festus was an artistic sensation in the Victorian period, a best-seller across the Anglophone world and broadly influential on other writers. This edition marks the first time it has been published in over 100 years, featuring the poem's first lineation and a contextualization of its scientific and theological imagery. Scholars and students will benefit from a general introduction to Bailey's life and work with a thematic guide to the poem that made him famous and appendices containing illustrations from period lithography.