Rebut Blake publisher criticism of WMR review

rebut criticism of WMR edition of Blake.

Rossetti, William M. "The Poems of William Blake." Academy (October 10, 1874): 127. Web. 21 Sept. 2011.

Rossetti takes issue with the publisher of a collection of William Blake's poetry (The Poems of William Blake, comprising Songs of Innocence and Experience, together with Poetical Sketches, and some Copyright Poems not in any other Edition) regarding two matters of inaccuracy contained in a pamphlet issued by the publisher.

The pamphlet takes issue with Rossetti's review of the book and Rossetti disputes both points and reaffirms his original view of the poetry and the copyrights issues Pickering disputes.

Although Rossetti did indirectly "impugn the veracity of the title" as Pickering stated in the pamphlet by stating that there were in fact not several unpublished poems in the Shepherd collection, Rossetti claims what he did was and is a matter of clarification regarding copyright specifics. He also specifies which supposedly "new" poems were previously published by Pickering in 1863 and 1866.

Rossetti describes a dispute regarding copyrights and Blake's work in a letter to Swinburne dated March 4, 1874. In Rossetti's opinion, the Pickering collection edited by Shepherd contained some of Blake's work that was unpublished until they were published in Gilchrist's book years before Pickering acquired the copyright (Letters 311).

"Now there was no reason whatever for accusing the 'Messrs. Rossetti' of anything of the sort. I, being one of the two Messrs. Rossetti, had nothing at all to do with the selecting or editing of the poems of Blake in that book."