As to the selections made, I wished to include `The Marshes of Glynn'
and yet not to exclude `Sunrise'. But both could not be put in,
and I finally gave the preference to `Sunrise', chiefly on the ground
of its being Lanier's latest complete poem.* I believe all will admit
that the poems selected fairly exemplify the genius of the poet.
The poems are arranged, not as in the complete edition,
but in their chronological order, the only proper one, I think,
for a text-book. Of course, they are all given complete.

--
* Later opinion generally agrees that "The Marshes of Glynn"
is Lanier's greatest poem, and as this edition has no limitations of space,
it would be inappropriate to exclude it. Therefore it has been inserted
more or less in chronological order (in accordance with Callaway's plan),
with some comments. -- Alan Light, 1998.
--

In the Notes I have made rather copious quotations from poems
familiar to English scholars, because I hope that this book
will go into the hands of many to whom they are not familiar,
and to whom the original texts are not easily accessible.
And yet, if they at all attain their end, the Notes must lead one
to wish to know more of English poetry, of which Lanier's is but a part.

Among the friends that have helped me by counsel or otherwise
I gratefully name Mr. Clifford Lanier, brother of the poet;
Professor Wm. Hand Browne, of the Johns Hopkins University;
Dr. Charles H. Ross, of the Alabama Polytechnic Institute;
and my colleagues in the School of English in the University of Texas,