FIRST POEMS by MERRILL, James - 1951

Knopf, 1951-01-01. Hardcover. Good. First edition. Poet Wilma Dykeman's copy with some of her notations throughout the text. No dust jacket.

New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1951. Merrill's third collection of poetry, and the first to be commercially published, 72 pages. Limited to 990 copies, this is number 115. Spine ends gently bumped with the spine sunned and nearly illegible. Bookplate on the front pastedown of Gertrude I. Behanna. Behanna was an influential writer and speaker for Alcoholics Anonymous, and the first wife of Winthrop (Win) Smith, partner in Merrill, Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith along with James Merrill's father, Charles.. First Edition. Hard Cover. Very Good/No Jacket.

New York: Knopf, 1951. First Edition. Very Good in a Very Good jacket.. First edition of Merrill's first regularly published book, after a very rare collection self-published by his father. One of the most auspicious debuts of the second half of the century, one that lived up to its promise. Cloth. 8vo. Red cloth, gilt-stamped spine. Very good in good jacket. DJ has 4" long 1/4" chip along bottom edge of front panel. Mild toning overall. Else sharp and unclipped. Previous owner's name to front flyleaf. Some rubbing to cloth. Else clean and sound. #814 of 999 copies. 72pp.

New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1951. First edition. Hardcover. Very Good+/very good. Stated first edition, 1951, hardcover with brown cloth boards in dust jacket, octavo, 72pp., not illustrated. Book VG+ with mild rubbing to boards and spine, binding tight, previous owner Suzy Mosher signature and date (March 1951) to front flyleaf, endpapers gently toned and foxed, otherwise text clean and unmarked. DJ VG with mild wear to spine ends and corners, rubbing and toning, now in archival mylar wrap.

New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1951. First edition. Hardcover. First printing. 72 pages. Number 885 from an edition of 990 copies. Merrill's first regularly published book after a book published by his father when he was only 16 years old. A near fine copy in a very good dust jacket that has some edge tears a few small gouges and some light soiling as well. Still, a pleasing copy of this important collection from a poet who went on to win a Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award for his writing.

New York: Knopf, 1951. First Edition . Hardcover. Near Fine/Near Fine. Number 80 of 990 numbered copies. Near fine in cloth-covered boards and dust jacket. The book has a discoloration in the cloth at one corner and the dust jacket has wear on the rear panel. Bookplate of a notable Princeton literary scholar.

New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1951. First Edition. Hardcover. First edition. Signed by James Merrill on the title page, copy 82 of 990 thus. 72 pp. Crimson cloth with gilt lettering on spine. Very Good+ in Very Good dust jacket. Gilt on spine rubbed, wear spot on bottom edge of back board. Jacket has a stain strateching from front panel to spine panel, spine a bit darkened, small tear near head, price intact ($3.00). The poet's first commercially-published book, rare signed.

New York: Knopf, 1951. First edition. Maroon cloth, fine, slightly tanned dust jacket. One of 990 numbered copies.

New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1951. Cloth. Near Fine/Near Fine. A crisp, very pleasing copy of the 1951 stated 1st edition of the poet's first commercially published book. #145 of 990 copies issued. Clean and Near Fine to Fine in a bright, price-intact, Near Fine dustjacket. Truly a collector's copy.

New York: Alfred Knopf, 1951. First Edition. Hardcover. Very Good/Very Good. First edition, #671 of 990 copies. Very good or better, clothbound with typical wear to spine lettering in very good price clipped dustwrapper, minor edgewear. A nice clean copy of his first regularly published book of poems.