An Alphabet of Wit: Edmund Dulac’s Lyrics Pathetic & Humorous from A to Z

In the vast and varied output of Edmund Dulac’s career, one volume stands apart as a delightful anomaly—a departure from the fairy tales, the Orientalist fantasies, and the dark poetry that defined his reputation. Lyrics Pathetic & Humorous from A to Z, published in 1908 by Frederick Warne & Co. in London, is a book of pure whimsy, an illustrated alphabet that showcases a side of Dulac’s genius rarely seen: his wit, his playfulness, and his ability to find humor in the everyday absurdities of life.

Edmund Dulac (1882–1953) was, at the time, at the height of his early fame. His Arabian Nights had appeared the previous year, establishing him as a major force in the Golden Age of Illustration. Yet before he became known for the sumptuous, jewel-like watercolors that would define his career, he produced this modest but charming volume—a collaboration with the writer Edmund Vance Cooke, an American poet known for his light verse and his ability to capture the quirks of human nature.

The premise of the book is simple: an alphabet of lyrical verses, each dedicated to a letter and a subject, each with its own full-page illustration by Dulac. From A to Z, Cooke’s verses and Dulac’s illustrations explore the comedy of human folly—our vanities, our pretensions, our small defeats, and our stubborn hopes.

What distinguishes Dulac’s work in this volume is its lightness of touch. The elaborate decorative borders, the rich color palettes, the elongated, graceful figures—all the hallmarks of his mature style are present, but they are deployed in service of comedy rather than romance or mystery.

The book was produced in a smaller format than Dulac’s grand gift books—a modest octavo designed for a wider audience. The color plates was rendered with care and artistry. The binding, in pictorial brown boards, featured a design by Dulac that promised the charm within.

Lyrics Pathetic & Humorous appeared at a moment when the illustrated alphabet book was a popular genre, with artists from Kate Greenaway to Walter Crane having produced celebrated examples. Dulac’s contribution to the tradition was distinctively his own: more sophisticated in its artistry than the average children’s alphabet, yet playful enough to delight readers of all ages. The humor is gentle, never cruel, and the verses, while light, carry a warmth that has kept them fresh for more than a century.

Today, first editions of Lyrics Pathetic & Humorous from A to Z are prized by collectors of Dulac’s work. While not as grand as his Arabian Nights or Rubáiyát, the volume offers a rare glimpse of a different side of his genius—a reminder that the artist who could conjure the haunting beauty of Poe’s “The Bells” could also find humor in the foibles of human nature. It is a book that invites us not to escape the world but to laugh at it gently, and at ourselves along with it—a testament to the range of an artist who, in the midst of a golden age, proved that even the alphabet could be a source of delight.

For collectors:
• The Ingoldsby Legends illustrated by Arthur Rackham (1907) – Contemporary work showing influences on early Dulac
• Stories from the Arabian Nights illustrated by Dulac (1907) – His immediately preceding project showing rapid artistic evolution

Other books illustrated by Edmund Dulac available in our gallery: Stories from the Arabian Nights,  The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, The Sleeping Beauty, Stories from Hans Andersen, The Bells, and other poems, Princess Badoura, Sindbad the Sailor and other stories, The Kingdom of the Pearl.

• Complete list of books illustrated by Edmund Dulac.
• Our Edmund Dulac Art Gallery

Art Gallery: Edmund Dulac – Lyrics Pathetic & Humorous from A to Z