Lot 303

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Description:

Robert Frost Signed 1st British Ed. of "A Boy's Will"

A signed and inscribed first edition softcover of Robert Frost's first poetry collection, A Boy's Will (London: David Nutt, 1913. 50p). Inscribed along top edge of front end page to fellow poet and educator, "Wilbert Snow/ From Robert Frost". Cover features off-white textured paper wrappers, binding D, with four-petaled flower motif on the front cover. Hand stamped with the words "Printed in Great Britain" on page iv. The book is housed in a protective forest green fabric slip case. Exhibits some darkened soiling and creasing to paper cover, with general page toning within. Else, good condition with boldly contrasted signature. Rare printing, 1 of approximately 686 copies!

While Robert Frost is considered one of the greatest American poets of the twentieth century, his first collection of poetry A Boy's Will (1913), was not published in the United States until 1915. He originally sent the work to publisher David Nutt two years earlier while living in Great Britain. During his time overseas, Frost would converse with other notable writers such as Ezra Pound and William Butler Yeats, receiving a largely positive reception of his poetry, something that had not yet happened in his career in America. Indeed, Frost's American publishers, Henry Holt and Company, would print A Boy's Will one year after his second poetry collection, North of Boston (1914) despite the original order in which they were written. Dedicated to his wife Elinore and described by Frost as autobiographical, A Boy's Will maintains his signature themes of rural life, nature, philosophy, and individuality. 

Charles Wilbert "Bill" Snow (1884-1977) was an American poet, educator and politician who served as the 75th Governor of Connecticut between 1946-47. On March 26, 1925, while working at Wesleyan University, Snow was asked to be a speaker at a public dinner for Robert Frost's 50th birthday, whom he had never met before. The two became fast friends, and Frost spent several long sojourns at Wesleyan, conversing with students around the dinner table and fireplace in Snow's home. One of these was Lawrence Thompson, who later became Frost's principal biographer. Following Snow's retirement from Wesleyan in 1952, he was a visiting professor at Spelman and Morehouse Colleges and induced Frost to come south to work with the students there. Frost and Snow continued to meet regularly and to share private critiques of each other's poetry up until Frost's death in 1963, only a couple of weeks after their last meeting.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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May 31, 2023 11:00 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

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