Excerpt from A Library of Poetry and Song: Being Choice Selections From the Best Poets, With an Introduction

Shortly before his death, observing with gratification the great popularity attained by his book and the growing demand for it, Mr. Bryant desired to thoroughly revise the work and make it still more worthy of the public esteem and his own fame. And, although its popular acceptability seemed no whit diminished in its original form, the publishers thought it worthy of a thorough revision, enlargement, and improvement. Accordingly, with Mr. Bryant's active cc-operation, the work was subjected to an entire reconstruction, both as to matter and form, the labor having been finished just before Mr. Bryant's death in 1878, and being, as has been stated, the latest of his completed literary tasks. About one fifth of the material of the former volume was eliminated, and twice as much new matter added, great pains having been taken to insure the correctness of the text, with a view to making it a standard for reference, as well as to give an ample provision for general or special reading.

The name Library, which has been given it, indicates the principle upon which the book has been made, namely: that it might serve as a book of reference, as a comprehensive exhibit of the history, growth, and condition of poetical literature, and, more especially, as a companion, at the will of its possessor, for the varying moods of the mind.

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