Portrait of Sidney Lanier

Sidney Lanier books in order

American musician and poet

Lived
1842–1881
Country
United States
Books
6

Sidney Lanier published 3 children's books and 3 poetry collections, beginning with The Boy’s Froissart (1879). The best-known is The Boy's King Arthur (1880).

Updated September 2026

Where to start with Sidney Lanier

Children's books in order

  1. The Boy’s Froissart (1879)

    422 pages

  2. The Boy's King Arthur (1880)

    371 pages

Poetry in order

  1. The Science of English Verse (1880)

    315 pages

  2. Music and Poetry (1898)

    248 pages

  3. Hymns of the Marshes (1907)

    59 pages

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About Sidney Lanier

Sidney Clopton Lanier was an American musician, poet and author. He served in the Confederate States Army as a private, worked on a blockade-running ship for which he was imprisoned, taught, worked at a hotel where he gave musical performances, was a church organist, and worked as a lawyer. As a poet he sometimes used dialects. Many of his poems are written in heightened, but often archaic, American English. He became a flautist and sold poems to publications. He eventually became a professor of literature at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, and is known for his adaptation of musical meter to poetry. Many schools, other structures and two lakes are named for him, and he became hailed in the South as the "poet of the Confederacy". A 1972 US postage stamp honored him as an "American poet".

Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.

Sidney Lanier FAQ

How many books has Sidney Lanier written?
Sidney Lanier published 3 children's books and 3 poetry collections that we list, as of September 2026.
What order should I read Sidney Lanier's books in?
Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with The Boy's King Arthur.
What is Sidney Lanier's last book?
Knightly Legends of Wales (1881).
What is Sidney Lanier's most famous book?
The Boy's King Arthur (1880) is Sidney Lanier's most widely read book.
Can I read Sidney Lanier's books for free?
Yes. 6 books by Sidney Lanier are in the public domain in the US and free to read online or download here.

Authors like Sidney Lanier

Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers, free texts from Project Gutenberg. Last updated September 2026.