A Bravery of Earth (by the Author with a Letter to Mrs. Ogden Reid)

New York; (1930): Jonathan Cape. First Edition. Octavo. 128 pages. The author's first book inscribed to Mrs. Oden Reid with a one page autographed letter explaining first, why he was amiss in not bringing his first book over to her for sometime and then goes on to explain: "Please understand absolutely that it is not to "pay court" to you (I am sick and tired of those petty tyrannies exacted in the ? state) but for the thing itself that I give this, hoping you may find some pleasure in it." Sincerely, R.G.. Eberhart. Ophir Hall, 1931. Eberhart lived there in his youth and today it is known as Reid Hall located on the campus of Manhattanville College. It is also known as "The Castle" for it is vast and at one time was considered as a possible site for the United Nations. It was designed by Stanford White and built in 1892 as a dwelling for Whitelaw Reid. Frederick Law Olmsted was hired to landscape the estate. As the first of his poems, this work is highly autobiographical couched in language that evokes both rich imagery as well as philosophical reflections. The loss of his mother coupled with his father's loss of a large fortune all play into his suffering and yet exulation as the poem rises above his intense pain. Bound in red cloth, spine lettering gilt, top edge black, spine just a bit faded. A very nice, clean sharp cornered copy.