Poems and Ballads (Third Series) Taken from The Collected Poetical Works of Algernon Charles Swinburne—Vol. III

"Poems and Ballads (Third Series)" by Algernon Charles Swinburne is a collection of poems from the late 1800s that uses beautiful language and imagery to look at love, nature, and what it means to be human. Swinburne mixes old, classic styles with the issues of his time, which will likely draw in readers who like expressive poetry that considers complicated feelings. The book starts with "March: An Ode," where the poet celebrates spring coming, showing how the month changes things by using bright pictures of nature waking up after winter. The speaker feels happy and respects March, picturing it as a lively power that brings a time of new beginnings and hope. Then, in "The Commonweal," the poet thinks about freedom and how fairness in society grows, combining stories from the past with a request for England to stick to its values. These starting poems together create a feeling of both great admiration for nature and thoughtful consideration of bigger topics in society.