About the Author

Edward Lear (1812-1888) was the father of nonsense literature, most celebrated for his limericks and longer nonsensical poems, such as The Dong with The Luminous Nose, The Jumblies and The Ahkond of Swat. He was a landscape painter, the best ornithological illustrator of his age, and the youngest of 21 children. He suffered from epilepsy and what he called the Morbids, and elements of sadness inform his best nonsense writing. He twice asked the same woman to marry him, was twice refused, and this underpins several of his key poems. The Prequel and Sequel in this edition develop this theme of personal and marital insecurity, but leave us with a smilingly happy ending!