W.H. Auden. The Collected Poetry of W.H. Auden. Random House, 1945.

Price: US$500.00 + shipping

Condition: Very Good

Description: Signed first edition, first printing. Hardcover in blue-green boards with paper dustjacket. 466p. Auden's signature to title page - beneath his printed name, crossed out in the same green pen. The verse on dedication page has been corrected in pen, likewise by Auden's hand. Otherwise unmarked. Binding sound. Tiny bit of looseness to front free endpaper, otherwise all pages quite firmly bound. Bit of bumping to fore-edge of half-title page. Two small stains apiece to page block's fore-edge and lower edge, the fore-edge stains encroaching into page interiors only occasionally, and at most 1mm. Page interiors lightly toned, commensurate with age, still lively and quite bright. Dust jacket, now in protective archival mylar covering, moderately chipped at foot of spine, mildly chipped/torn at top of spine / rear upper edge and corners. DJ also with closed tear to spine- inconspicuous beneath covering - not affecting text, and occasional dampstain. Of this collected verse, Auden writes that the poems here fall into two categories: pieces he has "nothing against except their lack of importance; these must inevitably form the bulk of any collection since, were he to limit it to the [other] class alone, to those poems for which he is honestly grateful, his volume would be too depressingly slim". A special copy of this important book, in lovely condition.

Seller: Aeon Bookstore, New York, NY, U.S.A.