HUGHES, Ted. The Rattle Bag: An Anthology of Poetry. London: Faber and Faber. 1982.
8vo. Yellow cloth backed boards with gilt title lettering to spine, blue illustrated dust jacket; pp. [4], 7-498; minimal bruising to bottom of spine with minor stains; very lightly toned to top edge; creasing to corners of dust jacket with a small tear to bottom left hand corner; otherwise very good.
First edition with an intimate inscription poem to Hughes' close friend Nick Grant which reads "For Nick/ after the bank-/The Water/ (full of odd creatures/some fish, some frogs.)/ from Ted/ 10th Nov. 1982".
Seamus Heaney and Ted Hughes write of the intentions behind this classic anthology of their favourite poems - it was not merely intended for those who have "awakened in themselves a need to widen and confirm their poetry" but rather that they have chosen to incorporate "a number of poems from oral cultures….which fill an emotional space that literary verse tends to leave empty". Subsequently, this essential and diverse collection brings together a melting pot of poetry from Blake to Plath; heralded masterpieces alongside unknown legends as well as works in translation. This collaboration still helps to inform and influence the ways in which we interpretate what constitutes the most profound poetry, beyond the "conventional".
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