Scenes from the Ramayan, Etc. by Ralph T. H. Griffith

Scenes From The Ramayan, Etc. offers a sequence of verse paraphrases of episodes from the Ramayana, drawn from Valmiki's epic and rendered in 19th-century English by Ralph T. H. Griffith. The pieces span the hero's life from his birth and coronation to his exile in the forest, his wife's abduction, and the trials that follow, including Dasarath's oath, Manthara's guile, Rama's departure with Lakshmana and Sita, and Rama's return only in legend. Each poem emphasizes moral virtues—truth, filial piety, self-control, devotion, universal benevolence—and portrays the ideal of a righteous king and dutiful wife within a grand epic framework. The Preface situates the Ramayana among diverse recensions and scholarly reception, and the collection aims to preserve the spirit of Valmiki's poetry while offering readable English verse.