AUDEN (W.H.)
Autograph manuscript of his poem 'A Free One' (here untitled), comprising fifteen lines opening: "Watch any day his nonchalant pauses, see/ His dextrous handling of a wrap as he/ Steps after into car, the beggars envy"; written on the reverse of an autograph letter signed ("W") to C. Day-Lewis, praising his poem 'Letter to W.H. Auden': "I liked the poem immensely and was duly flattered. 'On a northern fell within the sound of hammers' is exactly my phantasy of myself. It's a little hard that my little weakness should be exposed in dedicatory verse. 'Nothing to birds, anatomy to men.' is fine"; and adding: "When the possessive love overcomes the creative I feel very unhappy about being obscure. It's not the bad poets who are successful that one is jealous of, but the good ones like yourself whose medium happens to be a simpler one, because then one can't be superior about it. I am incredibly happy, spending my substance on strumpets and taking part in the white slave traffic. There is a poem on the back"; with two corrections to the poem, on either side of one sheet, light dust-staining but in good and attractive condition, 8vo, Fűrbringerstraase 8, Berlin, [?March 1929]
Sold for
£2,375
inc. premium
Footnotes
Category:
Books
/
Books, Maps and Manuscripts
Auction terms and conditions