ELIOT, T.S. Four Quartets. New York: Harcourt Brace and Company. [1943.]
8vo. Original black cloth, title in gilt to spine, with first state dust wrapper designed by E. McKnight Kauffer, with "$2.00" price in upper corner of front flap, rear flap blank, and nine titles listed in bold on back panel ending with "Old Possum's…"; pp. [10], 3-39, [1]; gilt lettering a little dulled, wrapper lightly toned as usual, with closed tear to lower edge of rear panel, otherwise a very good copy.
First edition, first printing, one of only 788 copies with the words "first American edition" on the verso of the title page.
Following Faber's separate publications of the four parts in 1940 and 1941, this American edition is the first to present the poems together under their now-familiar title. The initial print run consisted of 4,165 copies, but due to the poor quality of the printing, the publisher destroyed all but 788 copies, which were distributed to maintain copyright while the work was reprinted.
T.S. Eliot's Four Quartets is often lauded for its structural complexity, drawing frequent comparisons to James Joyce's Ulysses. Each of the four long poems meditates on time, striking a profound chord with readers confronting the harsh realities of the Second World War. Eliot's work reflects the disillusionment and upheaval of his times, delving into the relationship between past and present while imagining a future where England’s traditions might rise above the terror and sorrow of war.
Gallup A43.a
#2121813