Collected Poems of Robert Frost

New York. Halcyon House. 1940. Bound in gilt titled green cloth over boards. Thick 8vo. 5.75" x 5.5 The Third Printing.This copy presents Frost's 4 line poem "Immigrants" inscribed boldly in ink and initialed by Frost on bound-in Front Free Endsheet. Additionally, this copy is inscribed,dated and signed in ink by Frost on bound-in title Page. Illustrated with a photographic Frontis of Robert Frost. Robert Lee Frost (1874 – 1963) was, arguably the most important but,certainly the most popular American poet of the 20th century."Although his work is principally associated with the life and landscape of New England, and though he was a poet of traditional verse forms and metrics who remained steadfastly aloof from the poetic movements and fashions of his time, Frost was anything but a mere regional poet. The author of searching and often dark meditations on universal themes, he was a quintessentially modern poet in his adherence to language as it is actually spoken, in the psychological complexity of his portraits, and in the degree to which his work is infused with layers of ambiguity and irony. About Frost, President John F. Kennedy said, "He has bequeathed his nation a body of imperishable verse from which Americans will forever gain joy and understanding."-poets.orgThe poem which Frost has handwritten in this copy( and also appears as part of the collection on pg.333), "Immigrants", is a lyrical " iambic pentameter quatrain appearing In West-Running Brook(1928), although it first appeared as the fourth stanza of “The Return of the Pilgrims,“ a poem included in George P. Baker's The Pilgrim Spirit (I921). The poem asserts that no ship, whether by “sail or steam,” has gathered more people to America‘s shores than the Mayflower, the ship on which the Pilgrims sailed to America in I620. Frost uses it as a symbol of his optimism and hope for all immigrants who travel to the shores of his immigrant nation. The Mayflower symbolically accompanies all immigrant ships to American shores “in a dream”that was also the dream of its original passengers.The Mayflower joins the ships to create a “convoy”of protection and aid. The dream of the Mayflower's protection may exist in the minds of the immigrants at sea, or in the mind of the poet, who wishes them well. ln either case the journey to America is presented as a magical one that could lead to perhaps the most romantic of all immigrant dreams: the American Dream." Deirdre Fagan - Robert FrostExtremely rare and most desirable, Frost would occasionally inscribe one of his short poems to the endsheet of a book he was signing. Interestingly, he also did this on some of his Christmas cards. These handwritten poems differed from his usual book signings in that he would initial the manuscript poem "RF", whereas when simply inscribing the title page of a book,he would sign his full name. This copy has the distinction of displaying both forms of the Poet's personalization. Light wear to covers. Usual mild sunning to spine. Professionally executed attention to environs of interior front gutter. Toning, three small patches of red ink and a small previous owner' ink signature to Front Free Endsheet- with no interference to inscribed poem. Several spots of foxing and light abrasion to Title Page and Verso (Copyright Page).A Very Good, tight crisp copy of a most Rare and fascinating relic of American Literary History.