“Schiller’s Song of the Bell” (c. 1870)

“Schiller’s Song of the Bell” is an English translation of Das Lied von der Glocke, a long and famous philosophical poem originally published in 1798 by Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller, one of Germany’s greatest poets and playwrights. This specific edition is translated by W.H. Furness and published by Stroefer & Kirchner in New York, with illustrations by C. Jaeger and A. Mueller.

The poem uses the process of bellfounding as a metaphor for the stages of human life—creation, joy, sorrow, and legacy. Schiller’s work is considered a classic of German literature and is notable for its reflections on family, community, and the unpredictability of fate.

Provenance: presented to Ogden H. Fethers, a distinguished Wisconsin attorney, by The School of the Good Shepherd on May 29, 1875 (handwritten dedication inside adds special provenance). Gorgeous ornate cover and all plates intact—a beautiful collector’s book for literature,
poetry, & history lovers!