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A complete set of the
Poems of Emily Dickinson, "Success is counted sweetest |
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Rare set of first editions of the poems of Emily Dickinson, whose only peer in 19th century American poetry would be the incomparable Walt Whitman. Only ten of Dickinson’s poems were published in her lifetime, appearing in newspapers and journals. The first and scarcest volume of her work, titled simply Poems, was issued in 1890 in a run of just 500 copies. Even as late as 1890 Dickinson was still an unknown poet and publishing her challenging (and supremely innovative) poetry was a considerable gamble for Roberts Brothers of Boston, hence the very limited run of just 500 copies. Today, the publication of Dickinson’s Poems in 1890 is acknowledged to have been a watershed event in the development of American poetry. Dickinson’s deep and wide-ranging influence is manifest in the work of major 20th century poets such Hart Crane, Adrienne Rich, Wallace Stevens, Richard Wilbur and William Carlos Williams. On the scarcity of volume I: There are just four recorded copies of Dickinson’s Poems in the past 10 years (two of which have library stamps), and just one instance of all three volumes together. Copies of the Second and Third Series are certainly rare, but not nearly as scarce as Poems, for by the time they were published Dickinson’s genius had been recognized. Volume I has been skillfully re-cased, with some loss of the original cloth at the head and tail of spine, gutter repairs to preliminary blanks; on the whole a very good example of an exceedingly scarce volume. Volume II with slight rubbing, occasional inoffensive spotting to front and rear cover, a near-fine copy. Volume III just about fine. A rare set. |
