Poetry

Silverstein, Shel

Where the Sidewalk Ends: Poems and Drawings.

New York : Harper & Row, Publishers, 1974.

First edition, early printing of the author’s first collection of children’s poetry. Small quarto, original brown cloth, illustrated. Boldly signed by Shel Silverstein on the half-title page. Fine in a near fine dust jacket.

Thomas, Dylan

Death and Entrances.

London : J.M. Dent & Sons, 1946.

First edition of Thomas’ most well-known collection of poetry. Small octavo, original cloth. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, “To Charles Fox from Dylan Thomas.” Near fine in a near fine dust jacket, recipient name to the front free endpaper.

Thomas, Dylan

In Country Sleep.

New York : New Directions, 1952.

Signed limited edition, one of 100 copies of this collection of poems, including the first book appearance of “Do not go gentle into that good night,” published the year before his death,  Octavo, original cloth. Signed by Dylan Thomas. Fine in a fine slipcase. An exceptional example.

Warren, Robert Penn

You, Emperors, and Others: Poems 1957-1960.

New York : Random House, 1960.

First edition of the collected poems of Robert Penn warren written in the years 1957 to 1960. Quarto, original publisher’s cloth. Association copy, inscribed by the author to poet and editor William Claire on the front free endpaper, “To William Claire in friendship Robert Penn Warren.” Very good in a good dust jacket. Housed inContinue reading "You, Emperors, and Others: Poems 1957-1960."

Bishop, Elizabeth

North Haven: In Memoriam Robert Lowell.

Northridge, CA : Richard Bigus for the Lord John Press, 1979.

Memorial broadside, signed by Elizabeth Bishop, one of only 150 examples. It measures 21 inches by 14.5 inches. Framed, signature lightly faded, small stain to the bottom edge. Rare.

Select Poetry: Chiefly on Subjects Connected with Religion. [Fore-Edge Painting].

London : R. B. Seeley, 1830.

Finely bound poetry collection decorated with a concealed fore-edge painting. 18mo, bound in full morocco with gilt titles and tooling to the spine, gilt fleuron cornerpieces to the front and rear panels, gilt turn-ins and inner dentelles, all edges gilt, decorated with a concealed fore-edge painting of St. Saviour’s church in London. In very goodContinue reading "Select Poetry: Chiefly on Subjects Connected with Religion. [Fore-Edge Painting]."

Lewis, C.S

The Problem of Pain.

London : The Centenary Pres, 1941.

Early printing of Lewis’s classic discussion of the nature of good and evil; inscribed by him with a quotation from Coventry Patmore’s poem The Angel in the House which had a profound influence on the development of Lewis’s Christian beliefs. Octavo, original publisher’s cloth. Signed by C.S. Lewis with a quotation from Coventry Patmore’s poemContinue reading "The Problem of Pain."

Merrill, James

First Poems.

New York : Alfred A. Knopf, 1951.

First edition of the author’s first regularly published book. Octavo, original maroon cloth. One of 990 numbered copies printed, this is number 912. Association copy, signed and inscribed by the author on the title page with a four-line stanza from his poem White Stag, Black Bear, “…We called the autumn night his lair, Yet knewContinue reading "First Poems."

Milosz, Czeslaw

Native Realm: A Search for Self-Definition.

Garden City, NY : Doubleday & Company, 1968.

First edition of the re-issue of the Nobel Prize-winning author’s classic work. Octavo, original cloth. Boldly signed by Czeslaw Milosz on the front free endpaper. Fine in a near fine dust jacket. Jacket design by Lewis Friedman. Author photograph by Thomas Victor.

Whitman, Walt

Leaves of Grass.

Camden, New Jersey : Author's Edition [Walt Whitman], 1882.

The Author’s edition of the most important and influential volume of poetry written in America; one of probably fewer than 100 copies produced with the inclusion of the “sexual odes” at Whitman’s insistence. Octavo, original publisher’s cloth, illustrated with two full-page engraved portraits of Whitman at different ages. Boldly signed by Walt Whitman on theContinue reading "Leaves of Grass."

Stevens, Wallace

The Auroras of Autumn.

New York : Alfred A. Knopf, 1950.

First edition of this classic National Book Award winning collection. Octavo, original cloth. Near fine in a near fine dust jacket. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell and chemise box. An exceptional presentation, rare in this condition.

Ali, Muhammad

“The President” Muhammad Ali Signed Manuscript Poem.

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Manuscript poem signed by famed American boxer Muhammad Ali. One page, the poem is titled, “The President” and reads in part, “The face of the Pres is open, The eyes of the Pres are bright, The lips of the Pres are now closed, The head of the Pres is upright, The breast of the Pres slantsContinue reading "“The President” Muhammad Ali Signed Manuscript Poem."

Lowell, Robert

History.

New York : Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1973.

First edition of this classic work. Octavo, original cloth. Near fine in a near fine dust jacket, name to the front free endpaper. Jacket design by Charles Skaggs. Housed in a custom half morocco slipcase.

Lowell, Robert

Near The Ocean.

New York : Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1971.

First Noonday printing of Lowell’s renowned collection of poems, including his famous Waking Early on Sunday Morning. Octavo, original pictorial wrappers. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the half-title page, “For Sebastiano In the time of my crisis Robert Lowell Jan. 6, 1976 Greenways Nur[s]ing Home Robert.” In very good condition with  a fewContinue reading "Near The Ocean."

Eliot, T.S

Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats.

New York : Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1939.

First American edition of Eliot’s beloved collection of whimsical feline poems which served as the basis for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 1981 megamusical phenomenon Cats. Octavo, original cloth. Very good in a good price-clipped dust jacket. Jacket illustration by T.S. Eliot.

Dickinson, Emily. Edited by T.W. Higginson and Mabel Loomis Todd

Poems by Emily Dickinson: Second Series.

Boston : Roberts Brothers, 1891.

First edition of Emily Dickinson’s second book of poetry. BAL 4656. Octavo, original publisher’s gray and green cloth decoratively stamped in gilt, all edges gilt, facsimile manuscript leaves at front, tissue guarded title page. In very good condition. A nice example.

Gray, Thomas

The Poetical Works of Thomas Gray. [Fore-edge Painting].

London : Bell and Daldy, 1857.

Finely bound collection of the collected poetical works of Thomas Gray decorated with a concealed fore-edge painting of Eton College. Octavo, bound in full straight grain morocco with gilt titles to the spine, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt, decorated with a concealed fore-edge painting of Eton College. In very good condition. Armorial bookplate.

White, Henry Kirke

Remains of Henry Kirke White, with a Memoir of the Author. [Fore-edge Painting].

Glasgow : Printed for Richard Griffin & Co, 1844.

Finely bound collection of the letters and poems of Henry Kirke White. 12mo, finely bound in full morocco elaborately decorated in gilt, marbled endpapers, tissue-guarded frontispiece portrait of White, all edges gilt, decorated with a concealed fore-edge painting. In very good condition. Ownership inscription. A unique example.

Plath, Sylvia

The Colossus and Other Poems.

London : Heinemann, 1960.

First edition of the first complete volume of poetry to be published by Plath and the only volume published in her lifetime. Octavo, original cloth. Near fine in a near fine dust jacket. Housed in a custom half morocco slipcase. An exceptional example.

Bryant, William Cullen

William Cullen Bryant Autograph “The Voice of Autumn” Poem Signed.

November 21, 1853 .

Rare autograph poem in the hand of William Cullen Bryant sent by him to magazine publisher George R. Graham for inclusion in his literary periodical Graham’s Magazine with the accompanying transmittal letter from Bryant to Graham. Quarto, two pages. Addressed to George R. Graham, the letter reads in part, “New York Monday Nov. 21, 1853Continue reading "William Cullen Bryant Autograph “The Voice of Autumn” Poem Signed."

Shakespeare, William

The Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare. With A Glossary.

Chiswick : Printed by C. Whittingham, 1825.

Finely bound example of the collected dramatic works of William Shakespeare. 12mo, bound in full pebbled dark green morocco with gilt titles and elaborate gilt tooling to the spine, gilt tooling to the front and rear panels withing triple gilt ruling to the spine and front panels, gilt turn-ins and wide gilt inner dentelles, allContinue reading "The Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare. With A Glossary."

Heaney, Seamus

Beowulf: A New Verse Translation.

London : Faber and Faber, 1999.

First edition of this work by the Nobel Prize-winning author. Octavo, original boards. Boldly signed by Seamus Heaney on the title page. Fine in a near fine dust jacket. Jacket painting by Barrie Cooke. Author photograph by Caroline Forbes. A very sharp example.

Byron, George Gordon Noel. [Lord Byron]

Don Juan.

London : Thomas Davison [i.e., John Murray], 1819-1821 (Cantos I-V, Volumes I-II)/John Hunt, 1823-24 (Cantos VI-XVI, Volumes III-VI).

Scarce complete first edition set of Byron’s great work which was widely criticized as immoral upon publication and is now considered one of the greatest poems of the Romantics; from the library of American writer Erica Jong. Volume one was produced in quarto format and the subsequent 5 volumes in octavo (Davison abandoned the quartoContinue reading "Don Juan."

Sackville-West, Vita

Collected Poems.

London : Published by Leonard and Virginia Woolf at the Hogarth Press, 1933.

First edition of Sackville-West’s collected poems including “The Land” and “Sissinghurst” (which was dedicated to Virginia Woolf), as well as 28 new poems published here for the first time. Octavo, complete in one volume (Volume I was the only volume published). Signed by the author on the front free endpaper. From the library of EricaContinue reading "Collected Poems."