Hatred of modern civilization drives creation of beautiful products.

William Morris, born on the 24th of March in 1834 in Walthamstow, London, is revered today as a leading poet, writer, textile designer, artist, and libertarian. In 1856, he began publishing poetry and short stories in the Oxford and Cambridge Magazine, a publication he co-founded with friends and financed while at university. Although his first volume, The Defence of Guenevere and Other Poems, published in 1858, received a tepid response, Morris persisted in his literary pursuits.

His return to poetry came with the successful publication of The Life and Death of Jason in 1867, followed by The Earthly Paradise, a collection centered around medieval wanderers seeking eternal life. This work also included retellings of Icelandic sagas, a testament to Morris's enduring fascination with ancient Germanic and Norse cultures. He was the first to translate many Icelandic sagas into English, with the epic story of Sigurd the Volsung among his favorites.

In 1884, Morris founded the Socialist League, but he eventually left in 1890 due to the growing influence of Anarchists within the party. The following year, he established the Kelmscott Press, specializing in limited edition illuminated books, including his masterful design for The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer.

Despite being quietly offered the Poet Laureateship after Tennyson's death in 1892, Morris declined the honor. He passed away in London on the 3rd of October in 1896 at the age of 62. Here, we present The Story of the Glittering Plain, a testament to William Morris's enduring legacy.

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