Beschreibung:

POETRY]. Album containing autograph poems signed by 49 different modern poets, written for poets Barbara Howes (d.1996) and William Jay Smith (b.1918), each example signed, most dated by the authors, 1950-1981. Together 60 pages, in a blank book of 78 leaves, large 8 o (199 x 148 mm) . Polished calf gilt (minor wear at extremities, spine with triangular chip). A FINE ALBUM OF MODERN POETS An unusual poetical album amicorum which features a fine selection of autograph verse--ranging from a line or two to several pages -- mainly by American and English poets of the third quarter of the 20th century. Some of the verses were written specifically for Smith and Howes and are most likely unpublished. INCLUDING: Stephen SPENDER. "Fragment": "Here She lies Her hair a scroll along The grooved ivory neck..." 1¼ pages , headed "For Bill & Barbara, gratefully." -- Howard NEMEROV. "To fleece the Fleece from golden sheep...," 12 April 1951, 4 lines . -- Richard WILBUR. "Beasts," six stanzas, 1½ pages . -- Theodore ROETHKE. "My Papa's Waltz," 4 stanzas, 1 page . -- Louise BOGAN. "To an Artist, to Take to Heart," 19 July 1953, 4 lines . -- Ruthven TODD. "Epithalamium: for Barbara & Bill on October 1, 1947," 7 December 1953, 5 stanzas, 1¼ pages . -- James MERRILL. Sonnet "Orfeo," 20 March 1955," 14 lines, 1 page . -- R.P. BLACKMUR. "Oh, sailor sailor, Tell my why...," 5 lines . -- W.H. AUDEN. "Epitaph": "At peace, under this mandarin, sleep, Lucina...," 1956. 4 lines , signed "Wystan." -- Allen TATE. "I would not give the winter for a rose...," dated "towards winter 1957-58," 9 lines . -- Richard EBERHART. "A Ship Barking and a Comet All in One Day," 15 February 1958, 2 pages . -- Isak DINESEN. "The eagle's shadow swoops across the plan...," 8 lines . -- Robert FROST. "Forgive us O lord my little jokes on Thee And I'll forgive Thy great big one on me," 12 October 1960, 2 lines . -- Diana GIOIA. "A Curse on Geographers," June 1979, 1 page . OTHER CONTENTS: Witter BYNNER ( 4 lines ). -- Walter McELROY ( 2 pp. ). -- David GASCOYNE ( 4 lines ). -- Francis GOLFFING ( 4 lines ). -- Barbara GIBBS ( 1 page ). -- Herbert CAHOON ( 7 lines ). -- John Frederick NIMS ( 3 lines ). -- Leonie ADAMS ( 1½ pages ). -- Phillipe Toby-Marcelin ( 12 lines, in French ). -- Hubert CREEKMORE ( 2 pp. ). -- Alastair REED ( 1½ pp. ). -- H.G.T. CRAIG ( 1½ pp. ) -- Chester KALLMAN ( 4 lines ). -- Unidentified Chinese poet. -- Diana WITHABY ( 1 p. ). -- Ned O'GORMAN ( 1 p. ). -- Elemer HORVATH ( 13 lines, in Hungarian ). -- Isabella Gardner TATE ( 8 lines ). -- Lee ANDERSON ( 1 p. ). -- Howard MOSS ( 4 lines ). -- Gene BARO ( 5 lines ). -- John HOLMES ( 1 p. ). -- J.V. CUNNINGHAM ( 10 lines ). -- Louis UNTERMEYER ( 1 p. ). -- Thomas KINSELLA ( 8 lines ). -- Joseph LANGLAND ( 4 lines ). -- G.S. FRASER ( 1¼ pp. ). -- Anthony OSTROFF ( 12 lines ). -- A.D. HOPE ( 1 p. ). -- Lysander KEMP ( 3 lines, in Spanish ). -- Lyle GLAZIER ( 2 lines ). -- Eleanor CLARK ( 13 lines ). -- Robert Penn WARREN ( one-line quotation signed ). -- Emily GROSHOLZ ( 1 p. ). -- Gil WILLIAMS ( 1½ pp. ). -- Matti MEGGED ( 1½ pp., in Hebrew with English translation ). -- [ Laid-in :] Bernard WEINBAUM ( 4 line autograph poem; 14-line typed poem signed ). The poets Barbara Howes (1915-1996) and William Jay Smith (b.1918) were married in 1947 and lived at Brook Farm in Pownal, Vt. Howes was a finalist for the National Book Award in 1995 for her Collected Poems , and critic Robert Richman applauded her formal adeptness and lyric skill. Her poetry has been compared to the work of John Donne and others in the metaphysical vein. Smith has published 13 books of poetry, two of which were finalists for the National Book Award. This excellent album was begun several years after their marriage, and reflects the couple's wide circle of literary friends and acquaintances. These friendships are celebrated and documented in the many fine verses included here. It is appropriate that the album opens with a poem by Step