Science revived by a goddess of knowledge, this epic poem invites you to glimpse how science and imagination can illuminate the past.
An eight-canto work that opens with Alfred the Great seeking enlightenment and unfolds through visions, sylphs, and a procession of literary masters. The verses blend myth, history, and art to celebrate science and the virtues that sustain learning.
Within this edition, you’ll find a dramatic journey where celestial beings speak to a king, where poets and philosophers are summoned as witnesses, and where notes frame short biographical sketches of notable scientists and patrons. It pairs the main poem with explanatory material and commentary that helps readers place the imagined scenes in a broad historical and cultural context.
- Vivid, mythic scenes that bring science to life through poetic imagery.
- Famous literary figures invoked as part of the journey, from Shakespeare to Racine and Descartes.
- Biographical notes and commentary that illuminate real scientists and benefactors connected to science’s history.
- A paired structure that blends narrative verse with notes and reflections on knowledge and virtue.
Ideal for readers who enjoy classical poetry, literary history, and imaginative explorations of science’s roots.