The Collected Earlier Poems, William Carlos Williams — 2nd Printing

£250.00

The Collected Earlier Poems, William Carlos Williams — 2nd Printing

Name: The Collected Earlier Poems, William Carlos Williams — 2nd Printing
Brand: Broadhursts Books
SKU: 4888
Price: 250.00 GBP
Availability: InStock

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Publication: London, MacGibbon & Kee, 1951

Formatting: 8vo, pp. [viii], 482.

Condition Report: Very Good. The brown cloth boards remain remarkably clean and crisp, retaining sharp corners and bright gilt lettering along the spine, indicative of careful handling. The binding is square and tight, supporting a sound and uncreased text block. Internally, the pages are clean and free from foxing, though uniformly and lightly toned, as is customary for mid-century paper stock. Both the front and rear free endpapers exhibit rectangular tape-shadowing, a standard legacy of a previous owner's protective cover, though this does not obscure any text. The unclipped dust jacket is preserved in a removable sleeve; it remains vibrant but shows some expected sun-fading and a faint damp-mark to the spine panel, alongside light edge-wear and minor rubbing to the extremities.

Catalogue Note: This is the UK edition of Williams’s collected early works, published by MacGibbon & Kee. While the copyright page marks this as a 1951 "Second Printing" manufactured in the United States, indicating that the publisher utilized sheets or plates from the American New Directions printing—this represents the first UK issue in this format.

Interestingly, the lower panel of the dust jacket advertises later MacGibbon & Kee publications, including The William Carlos Williams Reader (published in 1966), signalling that this particular jacket is a later issue from the late 1960s. Clean, complete copies of this UK imprint are scarce on the open market today, particularly with the jacket intact.

The Collected Earlier Poems stands as a monumental testament to William Carlos Williams’s transformative impact on American modernism. Gathering his work from 1906 to 1939, this comprehensive volume includes seminal early collections such as Al Que Quiere!, Sour Grapes, and the groundbreaking Spring and All. Through these pages, readers can trace Williams’s evolution from his early romantic inclinations toward the sharp, unadorned imagism and profound attention to the everyday that would become his hallmark. Rejecting the rigid traditions of his contemporaries, Williams sought to capture the distinct rhythm of American speech, crafting a vital, localized poetics that remains endlessly influential.

Book Condition: Very Good

Book Authors: William Carlos Williams

Book Publisher: MacGibbon & Kee

Book Language: English

Narrative Type: Antiquarian

Genre: Poetry

Book edition: Second Impression

Signed: No

Book Pages: 482

Book Publication Year: 1951

Book Publication Date:

Book Binding: Hardcover

Illustrator: N/A

Book Series: N/A

Country/region of manufacture: London, United Kingdom

Book Dimensions:

Book Condition Guide

We stock thousands of books in a wide range of conditions. To make things clear and to help you know exactly what to expect, Please refer to these condition categories to understand the condition of the book you will receive.

Condition	Description
New	A brand-new, unread and professionally handled book. Carefully preserved from publication to purchase, these books are offered in the best attainable condition. This grade applies to recently published titles that have not entered long-term storage.
As New	The book is in pristine, original condition as if just published. No signs of use or handling. The dust jacket (if present) is equally flawless. This grade applies to any book that has remained untouched in storage for years.
Fine	The book is close to As New. It remains bright and attractive, but could show minor imperfections to the boards and/or dust jacket (if present). Its pages are typically clean and unmarked.
Near Fine	The book has a number of small flaws, i.e. slight rubbing to the edges, or tiny chips or creases to the dust jacket (if present). Its pages may have faint marks, or creases that are barely perceptible — nothing that detracts from their overall condition.
Very Good	The book maintains its structural integrity, and has no major flaws such as tears to its binding or pages. It may, however, show signs of careful use, handling, or storage — small marks and creases, light foxing. Its dust jacket (if present) remains fully intact, but small tears may be present.
Good	A book that remains intact and readable with complete text pages, but shows moderate signs of wear and use to both the book and dust jacket (if present). It may have noticeable creases, nicks, or stains, and the spine likely shows fading, bumping, and rubbing. There could be writing, underlining, and other marks on some pages, though the majority will be clean and tidy.
Fair	A book with significant wear or damage. The text pages will be complete, but there may be heavy underlining, highlighting and staining throughout, and the book’s endpapers, half-title, and copyright pages could be damaged or missing. The binding could be loose, and the dust jacket (if present) may have notable scuffs or tears. These copies are usually of interest for content, signature(s) or scarcity.
Poor	A heavily worn book whose value lies in its complete and legible text. A poor book will have substantial defects — loose joints or hinges, detached covers, loose and/or missing pages, and could be heavily soiled. A poor book is also known as a reading copy, and although compromised, can hold historical or bibliographic significance.