by T. S. Eliot
Criterion: Fragment of a Prologue in Criterion Oct 1926, and Fragment of an Agon. From “Wanna Go Home, Baby?” in Criterion Jan 1927.
Also collated: Sweeney Agonistes (Sw. Ag., also 2nd ed. 1933), 1936 and later editions. 1936 and 1963+ inadvertently omitted Fragment of a Prologue 107.
The pirated printings in Two Worlds Monthly, NY, of Fragment of a Prologue (Jan 1927) and Fragment of an Agon (as Wanna Go Home Baby? / Fragment of an Agon, May–June 1927) are not collated.
Subsection title page Sweeney Agonistes | Fragments of an Aristophanic Melodrama] 1936, 1963. Like Coriolan, Sweeney Agonistes is listed as a poem rather than a section in the Contents, and this subsection title page is set in smaller type than “Unfinished Poems” on the section-title page. The epigraphs also appear on this subsection title page.
Fragment of a Prologue
“Don’t”, “can’t”, “wouldn’t”, “won’t”, “shan’t” have no apostrophes in ts1. Guild treats stepped lines as new lines, ranged left (except 96: “Well I never.”)
Epigraphs] not ts1. Both epigraphs printed at the top of each part in Criterion. Also in Profile printing of the second part (roman except for attributions). Roman with italic for attributions and speaker’s name Sw. Ag., Later Poems.
Title] Prologue ts1
Stage direction] Doris playing patience. Dusty on the piano-stool: occasionally she strikes a few bars, and sometimes both of them sing a few bars. ts1 but not carbon, so a later addition
24 TELEPHONE] Doris ts1 1st reading
25 DUSTY: That’s Pereira] not ts1
26 Well can’t] Cant ts1 (stepped from 25)
27 say?] 1963+ ‖ say! ts1 ‖ say! printings prior to 1963, 1963 proof, US 1963 and later American printings
45 All right] Allright Criterion
47 ^ 48] line space ts1
48] indented after end of 47 ts1
51 Clubs] Spades. ts1
56–58] not inset ts1
57 Of] “Of ts1
59 that] that? ts1 1st reading
[Poem I 113–17 · Commentary I 783–809]
68 ^ 69] line space ts1
70 two of spades] ts1, printings prior to 1963 ‖ two of spades 1963+. (The exclamation mark is roman except in Criterion, Sw. Ag., US 1936, Guild, where it is italic)
72 do?] do! ts1
94 ^ 95] What was I saying a minute ago? ts1
96 never] 1936+ ‖ never! ts1, Criterion, Sw. Ag.
97 are] 1936+ ‖ are ts1, Criterion, Sw. Ag.
99] indented as continuation of 98 ts1
101] continuation more deeply indented ts1 dear] 1936 ‖ dear! ts1, Criterion, Sw. Ag.
103 there?] there ts1
106] indented as continuation of 105 ts1
107] not 1936+
108] indented as continuation of 107 ts1 (to] (to ts1
110] prefixed with stage direction: Wauchope’s Knock ts1
110–114] inset ts1
114 ^ 115] line space, no stage direction ts1
119 on] in (?mistyping) ts1 1st reading business.] business— ts1
122 pleased] pleased indeed ts1
123 Extremely] I’m extremely ts1
127 war] War ts1
129 we] we all ts1
141 Miss—er—uh—] 1936+‖ Miss Dorrance, ts1 ‖ Miss—er—uh Criterion, Sw. Ag.
145 it] it it 1936 (corrected from 7th imp., 1944), Guild
151 Don’t] You mustn’t ts1
after 159] (To be continued) Criterion
Fragment of an Agon
Also collated: Profile: Ezra Pound: An Anthology Collected in MCMXXXI (Milan, 1932).
“Won’t” and “don’t” have no apostrophe in ts1. Criterion spells “won’t” without an apostrophe on all five occasions, and “don’t” with an apostrophe on its first three appearances after the epigraph but without one on the further eight. Sw. Ag., US 1936, US 1952 all spell “dont” and “wont” without an apostrophe. US 1963 has the apostrophe consistently in “won’t” but not in “dont”. The British editions 1936, 1963, 1969 insert all the apostrophes except at 76.
Title] 1936+ ‖ Fragment of AGON ts1 ‖ Fragment of an Agon. [From Wanna Go Home, Baby?] Criterion, Profile ‖ FRAGMENT OF AN AGON Sw. Ag.
Opening stage direction] not ts1
9 you] you ts1
[Poems I 117–21 · Commentary I 809–10]
28 copulation,] US 1936, Later Poems (endorsed by TSE in response to a proof query, Faber archive RdlM 80), US 1952, US 1963 ‖ copulation 1936, Later Poems proof, 1963
33 I’d be bored.] indented to align with “You’d be bored”, 32 Profile.
39 ^ 40] two-line space then Snow and Swarts on banjos, Wauchope and Horsfall in low voices. then line space ts1 ‖ line space above and below stage direction Profile
40–70 as also 73–89] roman ts1 ‖ roman with no line spaces Profile
48 ^ 49 as also 60 ^ 61] two-line space ts1
54 tree.] tree 1963, US 1963, 1969
70 ^ 71] three-line space ts1 ‖ no line space Later Poems
72 ^ 73] three-line space then Snow and Swarts on banjos, Klipstein and Krumpacker in low voices. then two-line space ts1 ‖ line space above and below stage direction Profile
73–89] all roman Profile
76 won’t] 1974+ ‖ wont ts1 and printings prior to 1974
84 noontime] ts1, printings prior to 1963, US 1963 and subsequent US printings (and matching 88) ‖ noontide 1963+
89 ^ 90] two-line space ts1 ‖ line space Criterion
97 SWARTS:] WARTS: 1936 12th–16th imps. (1948–57), corrected by TSE in Washington copy 1954)
100 ^ 101] line space ts1
102 assure you,] assure, ts1 interested] ts1, Criterion, Sw. Ag., 1936 1st–9th imps. (to Jan 1946), US 1963+ ‖ interested 1936 from 10th imp. (Sw. Ag. 1946; the roman es being visibly inserted into standing type), 1963+
102 ^ 103] line space ts1
105 wants] or wants ts1
119 couple of] coupla ts1
125 do!] 1936+ ‖ do? ts1, printings prior to 1936
136 they both were] they were both 1969, 1974 (later corrected)
155 ^ 156] two-line space, Full chorus: Wauchope, Horsfall, Klipstein, Krumpacker, in loud voices. line space ts1 ‖ line space above and below stage direction Profile
157 on] ts1, Criterion, Sw. Ag., US 1936, Later Poems, US 1952 ‖ in 1936, Later Poems proof, 1963+. TSE emended 1936 proof to “on” but the change was not implemented. He also endorsed the change to “on” in response to a proof query about Later Poems (Faber archive RdlM 80).
167–73] ts1:
Ha
Ha
But you wait for the knock and the turning of the lock for you know that somebody’s coming for you.
Pereira’s Knock Knock knock knock
Knock knock knock
Knock
Knock
Knock
Doris goes off into hysterical screams of laughter.
Pereira’s Knock KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
KNOCK
KNOCK
KNOCK
[Poem I 122–26 · Commentary I 811–15]
Coriolan I. Triumphal March
ts1 (U. Maryland): ribbon copy on two leaves of lightweight typing paper, with two holograph corrections. An untraced carbon copy sold by Glenn Horowitz in 1990 (cat. 22, item 50) has the same emendation of the title (in unknown hand) and “one pencil correction”; sold again, Sotheby’s, 16 Dec 1996.
ts2 (Texas): secondary carbon copy on two leaves, headed “TRIUMPHAL MARCH | By T. S. Eliot”. Second leaf signed “T. S. Eliot” at foot.
proof (untraced): single sheet folded once to make four pages, printed on three, with some variations of line spacing. An unknown hand has pencilled on the other page: “Mr. Eliot didn’t like this type, so Mr. Simon is consulting with Mr. Kauffer before he sets it up again” (Oliver Simon was typographer at the Curwen Press; see headnote). Sold by Horowitz and then Sotheby’s, with ts1.
Subsection title page Coriolan] 1936, 1963+. Coriolan, like Sweeney Agonistes, is listed as a poem rather than a section in the Contents, and this subsection title page is set in smaller type than the section-title page “Unfinished Poems”.
Title] I. Triumphal March 1936+ ‖ CORIOLAN: Part I ts1 1st reading ‖ without numeral tss, Ariel, Modern Things, Faber Bk Mod V
1 oakleaves,] oakleaves US 1936
6 temple] Temple Modern Things
7 day?] day. ts2
8] two lines, the second indented (misreading Ariel, where the line is turned at “eagles. | And”) Recent Poetry, Faber Bk Mod V ‖ lineation indeterminate 1936, 1963 ‖ single line US 1936, US 1952, 1969 coming?] coming. tss
12 first?] first. tss see?] see. tss
13 ^ 14 as also 23 ^ 24] no line space tss
14–23] single spaced and so tighter than the surrounding poem, which is typed with 1½-line spacing tss ‖ similarly set tighter Ariel, 1936 (not US 1936)
19 aeroplanes,] aeroplanes ts2 1st reading
21 now] ranged left and followed by space 1936, 1963+ (not US eds.)
23 bakeries.] bakeries, tss
29 his] 1936+ ‖ those tss, printings prior to 1936
34 ^ 35] two-line space Guild
[Poems I 127–32 · Commentary I 815–26]
41 ^ 42] line space 1936+ ‖ two-line space Guild ‖ no line space tss, Modern Things, Recent Poetry, Faber Bk Mod V (where 41 is first line on page) ‖ new page so line spacing indeterminate Ariel
42 That] This 1974 and some reprints of 1969
45 crumpets.)] crumpets. ts1 1st reading
47 Please,] Please 1974 you] you give ts2
Coriolan II. Difficulties of a Statesman
ms1 (King’s): pencil on rectos only of six numbered leaves from a small ruled notebook, inscribed on fol. 2: “for J. H. from T. S. E. (20. 2. 48) First Draft.” The paper size allowed sometimes only four words per line, so some verse lines occupy three physical lines. This makes it hard to judge the intended lineation, and may have influenced the very varied line-lengths in the finished poem. First and last pages shown in facsimile in March & Tambimuttu eds. (plate after 116).
ts1 (Brotherton Library, Leeds): ribbon copy on three leaves, with a note at head in the hand of Bonamy Dobrée: “Typescript by T. S. E. Given me as I sailed for U.S.A. c. 1929”.
ts2 (Texas): carbon on three leaves. Parts of lines on the first leaf that have been mechanically duplicated in error are here ignored.
ts Turner (untraced): TSE wrote to the voice teacher J. Clifford Turner on 8 Mar 1935 promising “copies of Mr. Pugstyles and The Difficulties of a Statesman as soon as I have time to make copies, or have copies made.”
Commerce set the whole poem in italics, with every line indented other than turns, which begin at the margin.
H&H: Hound and Horn Oct–Dec 1932. TSE to Harriet Monroe, 10 Aug 1932: “I have only one poem or part of a poem which I care to publish at the moment in any form, and I have given it to the Hound and Horn about six weeks ago. So now I am afraid there is literally nothing which I would care to offer to the readers of Poetry.”
First publication in a volume, The Faber Book of Modern Verse (a month before publication of 1936).
Title] II. Difficulties of a Statesman 1936+ ‖ not ms1 ‖ without numeral Commerce, H&H, Faber Bk Mod V
1 CRY] Cry Faber Bk Mod V
3 The] not ms1 1st reading Cavaliers,] Cavaliers ts2
5 Eagle] Eagle, ts2 1st reading with the opening bracket that follows then typed over the comma, without word space class),] Class) ms1 ‖ class) ts1
8 committees:] Committees, ms1
9 consultative councils, the] not ms1 standing committees] Standing Committees ms1
[Poems I 132–33 · Commentary I 827–31]
14 thirty shillings at Christmas] 30/- at Xmas ms1
15 ^ 16 new page H&H
16 committee] commissioner ms1 nominate] ap 1st reading ms1 (uncertain reading, perhaps for appoint)
17 Water] water ts1 1st reading
19 chiefly] primarily ms1, tss, Commerce, H&H, Faber Bk Mod V ‖ especially ts2 1st reading rebuilding] renewing ms1
24 marches] marshes 1936 (corrected by TSE in John Hayward’s copy of 1936 and Curtis 1936, as from 11th imp., 1947), US 1936 (corrected by TSE in William Yeo’s copy of the 1947 imp., U. Virginia), Guild, Later Poems
25 in] on ts2 1st reading marshes] marches ts2 1st reading
26 lightning] lightening in the night of July. ms1 1st reading ‖ lightening in the nights of July. ms1 2nd reading ‖ lightning in nights of July. ts2, Commerce ‖ lightning, H&H, Faber Bk Mod V
32 under the … Hidden under the … Where the] Commerce, 1936+, also US 1952 with Where turned as though to begin an indented new line ‖ under the hidden under the Where the ms1 ‖ under the Hidden under the Where the ts2, H&H, Faber Bk Mod V dove’s] doves ms1 moment,] moment ms1
34 breast feather] feather ms1 1st reading
36 not among] 1936+ ‖ not, happily, one of ms1 1st reading ‖ not one of ms1 2nd reading, tss, printings prior to 1936 busts,] 1936+ ‖ busts ts2, printings prior to 1936 all] not ms1 1st reading
37 tired] not ms1 heads] weary heads ms1 2nd reading
39 wind] south wind ms1 2nd reading
41 time] times Guild almost] not ms1 1st reading
42 immolations,] not ms1 oblations,] oblations and ms1 impetrations,] 1936+ ‖ impetrations ms1, tss, printings prior to 1936
44 not] then ms1 (? written over n)
46 silent] silence of the ms1
47] first words over illegible erasure ms1 with the sweep of] looped, as though to move last word to first place ms1 ‖ in under ms1 alt little bat’s] small bat’s ms1 firefly] fire fly ms1 or] or the ms1 1st reading ‖ (or ms1 lightning bug,] lightening bug ms1 1st reading ‖ lightning bug) ms1
48 and] or ts2 1st reading
49 chirp] apparently filling a blank left when the line was first written ms1 thinly through] in ms1 through the night] 1936+ ‖ in the night ms1, tss, printings prior to 1936
52 representative] thoroughly representative ms1
52 ^ 53] line space ms1
53] indented ts1 ‖ centred US 1936, US 1952, US 1963
53] wide word spacing tss, Commerce, H&H, US 1936, US 1952, US 1963
53] ending with full stop ms1, ts2, Commerce, H&H
[Poem I 133–35 · Commentary I 831–34]
Minor Poems
Section-title page] 1936+.
Eyes that last I saw in tears
ms1 (Texas): fair copy in pencil on a single leaf of lined paper without watermark. Facsimile in An Exhibition of Manuscripts and First Editions of T. S. Eliot (Texas, 1961). Probably sent to Ottoline Morrell late in 1924 (see textual headnote to The Hollow Men ts1).
ts1 (King’s): carbon headed “DORIS’S DREAM SONGS” and with Eyes that last I saw in tears as “I” and The wind sprang up at four o’clock as “II”. Foolscap leaf without watermark formerly folded three times to fit an envelope, endorsed “An early version typed by myself. T.S. Eliot”. With pencil draft of The Hollow Men Part III lengthwise on verso (evidently written later).
Valerie’s Own Book: fair copy. Facsimile in the programme for the Stage Sixty Theatre Club’s Homage to T. S. Eliot (1965).
ts Virginia (U. Virginia): later typing not by TSE but endorsed in his late hand. As this has no independent authority, it is not collated here.
4 The golden] When the ts1 1st reading
5 I] not 1963, though present in proof so published line spaced accordingly (corrected 5th imp., 1970)
6 affliction] Criterion, Chapbook, 1936, 1963, US 1963+ ‖ affliction. Am. Poetry 1925, 1969, 1963 5th imp. (1970), 1974+
6 ^ 7] two-line space Valerie’s Own Book
12 this,] printings prior to 1974, US 1963 ‖ this ts1, 1974+
The wind sprang up at four o’clock
Included in The Year’s Poetry 1936: A Representative Selection ed. Denys Kilham Roberts and John Lehmann ([19
36/7]). No variants.
ts1 (King’s): carbon headed “DORIS’S DREAM SONGS” with I and II (see Eyes that last I saw in tears ts1, above).
ts Virginia (U. Virginia): later typing not by TSE but endorsed in his late hand. As this has no independent authority, it is not collated here.
Valerie’s Own Book: fair copy with no variants.
[Poems I 139–40 · Commentary I 835–37]
1 at] and broke ts1 1st reading
5 echo] memory ts1 1st reading
10 spears.] spears ts1, Chapbook, Am. Poetry 1925
Five-Finger Exercises
Published in Criterion Jan 1933, then 1936+.
Title] no hyphen in Contents list on Criterion cover ‖ Five-finger exercises Later Poems Contents ‖ Five finger exercise Index to 1963 (corrected 1974)
I. Lines to a Persian Cat
ms1 (Magdalene): manuscript addition to typed letter to I. A. Richards, 2 Mar 1932, with Lines to a Persian Cat, with the comment “Composed in the Underground. Too obvious Blake Hopkins to be useful.”
ts1 (U. Maryland): single leaf, double spaced, with typed title (without numeral) and single ms correction. Typed date at foot: “T. S. E. 29. 2. 32.”
On 24 May 2000, Bloomsbury Book Auctions sold four slipcases enclosing 24 decorated manuscripts by Frederic Prokosch, catalogued as dating from 1932–36, and containing verse by TSE (mostly extracts). Among these manuscripts in “Butterfly Book” style, was Lines to a Persian Cat, to which Prokosch had added a note: “Eliot sent me a typescript of this poem in late June 1935: this is a copy of this version, with the word ‘only’ in the sixth line.” No such typescript has been traced.
2 Square.] Sq. ms1 ‖ Square Criterion
9 will] does ts1 2nd reading