"Does No One but Me at All Ever Feel This Way in the Least?" Autograph Manuscript, Signed.

Frost, Robert

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November 1952. Holograph manuscript on two leaves of white wove, three-holed, loose-leaf paper measuring 9 1/2 by 6 inches. At the bottom of the second leaf, in Frost's hand, the work is inscribed "Robert to Fred" (i.e. Frederick B. Adams, Jr.). A life-long bibliophile, Adams was the director of the Pierpont Morgan Library from 1938-1969. This poem first appeared as Frost's Christmas greeting for 1952 and was not actually released until July 4, 1953; it was later published in Frost's last collection, In the Clearing. Adams's label on the front cover of his archival folder dates this manuscript to November 1952, and there are sufficient variant readings to suggest that Frost was still revising the poem when he presented these leaves to Adams. Of particular note is line 3, which reads: "That was to make the New World newly great"; in the published version, this was changed to "That should have made the New World newly great", removing at once the undertone of potentiality in Frost's stanza about the original settling of North America and replacing it with something more ironic. There are other stylistic variations throughout, as well as a number of obvious revisions. Together with a copy of the published greeting, which is illustrated with drawings by Howard Cook. One of 175 copies printed at the Spiral Press, and bearing Marguerite and Fred Melcher's imprint. A fine manuscript with exceptional provenance, housed in an archival folder bearing Adams's bookplate, which was designed by Rockwell Kent. (Item ID: 17232)

(Crane B24).