W. H. DAVIES’ NEW POEMS, THE DEDICATION COPY
DAVIES, William H. New Poems. London: Elkin Mathews, 1907. Small octavo, original green cloth; pp. 76, [2]. $1400.
First edition, the dedication copy, inscribed on the front flyleaf: “Mr. Edward Thomas, with William H. Davies’ compliments.”
Edward Thomas did more than anyone else to help Davies. Thomas sent a copy of this book to W. H. Hudson, saying, “I enclose my East End Welsh poet’s new book, not striking like the first, but I think you will like his feeling for nature in the weald.” In his next letter to Hudson he wrote concerning New Poems, “Of course ‘Hope Abandoned’ is a mistake, but ‘The Way of Time,’ ‘The Likeness,’ ‘Ale,’ ‘The Ox,’ ‘The Calm,’ ‘Violet to the Bee,’ ‘Music,’ ‘Newcomers,’ and ‘Parted’ seem to me to be very good, and I liked ‘Catherine’ too.” Marginal marks are found by all but one of the poems Thomas mentioned in his letter, as well as by a few others.
Fine condition.