T. S. Eliot the Poems, Volume 2
Page 75
8 once] first ms1
9 When] Where mss limbs] legs mss smoothly] not ms1 1st reading other] other and his knees grasping each other ms1 1st reading (last three words del before the others)
12 soothed by his own rhythm.] carried apart ms1
14 his eyes] his own eyes ts Poetry (uncertain reading)
15 aware] were aware ms1 the pointed tips of his] long ms1 ‖ the tips of his ms2
15 ^ 16] no line space mss, galley ‖ new page Early Youth 1950 ‖ line space Early Youth 1967, 1969 (error)
16] So because he was struck mad [down alt added] by the knowledge of his own beauty ms1
17 men’s] mens’ mss (error, compare The Burnt Dancer 20) before] to ms1 God.] God Early Youth 1967, 1969
18 streets] streets, in the streets of Carthage ms1
19 faces] pale faces ms1 1st reading ‖ many faces ms1 2nd reading (first word uncertain) convulsive] convulsed ms2 1st reading thighs and knees.] ms1 3rd reading ‖ thighs. ms1 1st reading ‖ knees. ms1 2nd reading
20 under] to live under mss
20 ^ 21] new leaf so line spacing indeterminate ms2
21 was sure] wished ms1 tree,] tree mss
22 Twisting] To push ms1 other] other, ms1 (probable reading, although WLFacs has a full stop)
23 And] and ms1 1st reading tangling] tangle ms1 other.] other ms1
24 knew] wished ms1
25 held tight in] caught between ms1 1st reading ‖ held between ms1 2nd reading his own] his own ms2 fingers,] fingers ms1
26 Writhing] To have writhed ms1 ancient] not ms1 beauty] beauty caught in the net of his own beauty ms1 1st reading ‖ beauty caught in his own beauty ms1 2nd reading
27] not ms1(but see 26 for elements of the line)
28 he] he wished he ms1
30 Knowing at the end] To have known at the last moment, ms1 taste] full taste ms1 his] her mss
31] indented ms1 (inadvertent?) his] her mss smoothness,] smoothness. ms1
32] not ms1
[Poem I 270–71 · Commentary I 1156–57]
33 became a dancer] devoted himself ms1
34 burning] penetrant ms1
37] ms1:
He surrendered himself and embraced them
And his whiteness and redness satisfied him.
37 ^ 38] We each have the sort of life we want, but his life went straight to the death he wanted. del ms1
38 green,] green ms1 del
To Helen
Published in March Hare from ms1.
ms1 (Berg): black ink on a loose leaf accompanying Notebook. Untitled.
ms2 (Beinecke): black ink on a loose leaf not from the Notebook. The presence of the title suggests this was subsequent to ms1.
Text from ms2.
Title] not ms1, March Hare
3 bananas,] bananas ms1
5 impatient] restless ms1
6 large] wide ms1
7 finger bowl] finger-bowl ms1
8 Till] Until ms1 around the corner] beneath the table ms1
9 And twitched] ms2 ‖ The t ms1 (apparently before writing the last two words of 8) ‖ The ms2 1st reading crumbs.] crumbs ms1
After the turning of the inspired days
Published in WLFacs. Date uncertain: see Commentary headnote.
ms1 (Berg; WLFacs 108–109): black ink on squared paper, widely punched for filing and folded in four for posting (along with I am the Resurrection and the Life and So through the evening, through the violet air).
1 the inspired] a thousand 1st reading
2 praying] praying and crying 1st reading. TSE added square brackets around and crying before deleting the words crying] sighing
4 kept] not 1st reading withered] the withered 1st reading
8 as also 10] indented?
[Poems I 271–72 · Commentary I 1157–59]
13 world seemed futile] 3rd reading, braced with earlier readings ‖ world was ended 1st reading ‖ show was ended 2nd reading
I am the Resurrection and the Life
Published in WLFacs.
ms1 (Berg; WLFacs 110–111): black ink on paper matching that of After the turning of the inspired days. No variants.
So through the evening, through the violet air
Published in WLFacs.
ms1 (Berg; WLFacs 112–15): black ink and pencil on both sides of a single leaf of paper matching that of After the turning of the inspired days.
2 One] alt 3rd reading and final reading ‖ A 1st reading ‖ Some 2nd reading and alt 3rd reading dragged] led alt
3 from which] wherefrom / whereof alts seemed] had / was alts
6 When] enclosed in square brackets trees] withered trees 1st reading; TSE enclosed withered in square brackets before deleting the word
7 one essential] not 1st reading that] 1st and final reading ‖ which 2nd reading
8] perhaps added that] which 1st reading
9 This] To the 1st reading ‖ When to the 2nd reading wrinkled ^ road] withered twice added and del which] that 1st reading winds and] not 1st reading
11 whereof] of which 1st reading, the second word then linked to which in the next line by a double-headed arrow gone] lost 1st reading
12 we] I alt alone:] along alt
15 shrill] WLFacs reads as Shrill
16 Whining] Sobbing 1st reading
17 distorted] 2nd reading ‖ one withered 1st reading ‖ contorted 2nd reading alt
19 I saw him creep] Such a one crept alt
22 there were] enclosed in square brackets
22 ^ 23] no line space WLFacs transcript
23–27] added in pencil
23 impulsions] 2nd reading ‖ impulsion 1st reading ‖ impulses alt 1st reading, undel
24 cried] said 1st reading
26 world] world” 1st reading
[Poems I 272–73 · Commentary I 1159–61]
27 It] The world 1st reading strange] such 1st reading (not WLFacs transcript) revolutions since I died] catalepsies since I died 1st alt ‖ revolutions; let me bide 2nd alt ‖ revolutions; I abide 3rd alt. (The word “revolutions” in 2nd and 3rd alts is followed by a semi-colon, not the colon given in WLFac transcript.)
27 ^ 28] turn of leaf, so line spacing uncertain in ms1, although the space after the lines in ink (to 22), in which 23–27 were added in pencil, suggests a discontinuity or even possibly that a new poem begins at 28
28 As] Like 1st reading deaf mute] blind man 1st reading
30 surf is] surface 1st reading
Introspection
Published in March Hare.
ms1 (Berg): black ink on the fourth page of a loose double leaf of Waldorf Club Newton Mill paper, accompanying Notebook. Prose poem, written only on the left half of the page. The lineation (including hyphenation) is preserved in the present edition. No variants.
The Engine
Published in March Hare.
Two manuscripts on loose leaves accompanying Notebook:
1111
ms1 (Berg) = March Hare A: pencil first drafts on fourth and second pages of a folded leaf of notepaper headed U.S.M.S. St. Louis (with a flag), titled I The Engine and II Machinery: Confetti, the second changed to II Machinery: Dancers.
ms2 (Berg) = March Hare B: blind-ruled laid paper matching The Death of Saint Narcissus ms2. Fair copy in black ink, with the two parts together now entitled The Engine and simply numbered as paragraphs.
Text from ms2.
[Poems I 272–73 · Commentary I 1159–61]
I
hummed] leapt ms1 1st reading Flat] The flat ms1 1st reading along the tiers of chairs in one plane,] in tiers along ms1 1st reading ‖ in one plane along the tiers of chairs, ms1 2nd reading ‖ in one plane along the tiers of chairs ms2 with deck- added and del before chairs six-penny] six penny ms1 The machine was hard, deliberate, and alert; having chosen with motives and ends unknown to cut through the fog it pursued its course;] The machine was hard, deliberate and alert, cutting through the fog ms1 1st reading ‖ The machine having chosen to cut through the fog
with motives and ends unknown was hard, deliberate and alert ms1 ‖ The machine was hard, deliberate, and alert; having chosen for with motives ends of its own unknown to cut though the fog it pursued its course; ms2 stirred · · · surface] illegible in ms1 certain and sufficient as a] more and more ms1 1st reading ‖ certain and self-sufficient eternal [illegible] a 2nd reading ‖ certain self-sufficient like as a final reading bush,] bush; ms1 indifferently · · · parasite.] justifying and accounting for the parasitic aphis. ms1 aimless] added ms2
II
while] as ms1 scuffle] shuffle ms1 1st reading (uncertain) The] ms1 1st reading, ms2 ‖ And the ms1 ceased] stopped ms1 1st reading from the steerage] following tune ms1 1st reading only to see on the wall a spider taut as a drumhead] and saw a spider ms1 1st reading ‖ to see a spider on the wall at my feet ms1 2nd reading (the added words on the wall may have been written after at my feet not as an alt, but reiterating that the speaker is in bed) ‖ to see at my feet a spider on the wall ms1 final reading ‖ and saw on the wall a taut spider taut as a drumhead ms2 1st reading endless] all the ms1 1st reading a small] one small black ms1 drowsily] confusedly ms1 But] An But ms2 faces …”] ms1 ‖ faces … ms2 then] added in ms1 the feet] then the feet ms1
Hidden under the heron’s wing
Published in March Hare.
ms1 (Berg): pencil on a loose leaf accompanying Notebook.
1 wing] wings 1st reading
2 lotos-birds sing] lotos-bird sings 1st reading
8 housemaid’s] maid with 1st reading crimson] scarlet alt del
O lord, have patience
Published in March Hare.
ms1 (Berg): pencil on lightweight Merchants Pure Bond paper (Carter Rice & Co, Boston), accompanying Notebook. The top two-thirds of the ms page are given to the three widely spaced lines of Dante, each underlined, with TSE’s quatrain immediately following the third of these. TSE may have intended to supply verses to follow each of Dante’s three lines.
[Poems I 274–75 · Commentary I 1164–67]
In silent corridors of death
Published in March Hare.
ms1 (U. Maryland; now Hornbake Library; formerly McKeldin Library): pencil on ruled leaf. No date assigned by Rainey.
7] not 1st reading
8–9] underlined (perhaps for reconsideration) ‖ then below the poem, at an angle:
Suffused light—light from where?
[2]
Stifled scent—scent of what?
-----------------------------------------
Stifled sighs and sighing breath
[4]
In vacant corridors of death.
[4] vacant] stifling alt
Airs of Palestine, No. 2
Published in March Hare.
ts1 (Berg): loose leaf of lightweight typing paper, accompanying Notebook. Ribbon copy annotated by TSE and Pound. With unannotated carbon on the same paper.
Valerie’s Own Book: first and third stanzas only (presumably from memory), headed Lines to the Editor of the Westminster Gazette and with a note, “(Date uncertain)”.
2 “Take thou this Rod,] “take thou thy rod Valerie’s Own Book
3 Rock”;] rock”. Valerie’s Own Book
5–8] braced by Pound ts1 ‖ not Valerie’s Own Book
9 struck the living Rock,] smote the living rock, Valerie’s Own Book
10 Rock was wet,] rock was wet; Valerie’s Own Book
11 From which henceforth] From which thenceforth ts1 1st reading ‖ And thence, each day Valerie’s Own Book
13–40] not Valerie’s Own Book
14 crawl and writhe] writhe and crawl ts1 alt
16] To Cannon St. and London Wall. ts1 alt with London Bridge as alt to Cannon St.
20 Bubble] They flow ts1 1st reading
21–24] braced by Pound ts1
23 Troubling] They stir ts1 1st reading
[Poems I 275–77 · Commentary I 1167–72]
24 Mounting] And mount ts1 1st reading ‖ They mount March Hare (error in transcription of 1st reading)
39–40] instead of scales to cloud shade their eyes, | They use Spender’s gazette. Pound ts1
Petit Epître
Published in March Hare.
ts1 (Berg): ribbon copy with accents added by hand, on a loose leaf of lightweight typing paper, accompanying Notebook.
No attempt is made here to correct TSE’s French.
6–7 chacals? · · · mâle] braced, with “rhyme?”
21 aurais] aurai 1st reading
25 promiscuité.”] promiscuité).” ts1 (but with no opening bracket)
27 qui sert] par voie 1st reading
31 tous,] tous 1st reading
44 dames] not TSE’s hand (perhaps Dulac’s?) ‖ femmes 1st reading, braced with réclame in next line, with “rhyme?” (del after revision)
50 entends] entend 1st reading
Tristan Corbière
Published in March Hare.
ts1 exists in two copies:
ts1a (Berg): loose leaf of lightweight typing paper, accompanying Notebook. Ribbon copy with accents added by hand.
ts1b (Berg): loose leaf of lightweight typing paper, accompanying Notebook. Carbon of ts1a annotated by Pound, with, pinned to it, a scrap of paper with an alternative version, in TSE’s hand, of 12–14. Accents added by hand.
No attempt is made here to correct TSE’s French.
1 cinquième] with “cinquième on the côte or in Paris?? or the mer in his d[ ]” Pound ts1b (leaf torn)
3 sa] la ts1, with “s” written over “l” ts1b (March Hare mistakes the order of these readings)
5 des] de Pound ts1b (correcting TSE’s French)
[Poems I 277–79 · Commentary I 1172–76]
7 quelques trous] del Pound ts1b ‖ le verrou alt ts1b
10 au Luxembourg] aux jardins alt, del in ts1b by Pound, who ringed Luxembourg with “Avenue Champs Elysèe, ou a L’Etoile—before the clubs in the C.E. next door to Pres. Fallieres back yard”
11 clignant] lorgnant alt ts1a (with clignant ringed). Beneath his marginal comment on 10, Pound wrote “or Cafè de la Paix if they are going to clign very heavily” ts1b
12–14] alt on scrap of paper:
Telle sur le boulevarde une ancienne grue
Le Lieutenant Loti, très bien dans sa tenue
Fait le trottoirs dans les pages des complaisants revues
13–14] with “? promène au coin” Pound ts1b
14] ringed with arrow to move before 12 Pound ts1b
Ode (“Tired. | Subterrene”)
Published in AraVP but not US 1920. Reprinted in James E. Miller, T. S. Eliot’s Personal Waste Land: Exorcism of the Demons (1977); Vicki Mahaffey in American Literature Jan 1979; H. A. Mason in Cambridge Quarterly Apr 1990; then March Hare (from ts1).
ts1 (Berg): ribbon copy and carbon, each on a single leaf of lightweight typing paper, accompanying Notebook. Some inadvertent indenting.
ts2 (Berg): purple carbon of a later version, on a loose leaf of lightweight wove typing paper, accompanying Notebook. Both paper and typing match Gerontion ts2.
Text from AraVP.
Title] Ode | on Independence Day, July 4th 1918. ts1
Epigraph] not ts1
1 ^ 2] line space ts1
5] stepped but with no line space ts
8 ^ 9] line space ts1
13 Hymenæe] Hymenaee tss
14] Sullen succuba suspired ts1 1st reading
15 ^ 16] line space ts1
The Death of the Duchess
Published in WLFacs.
[Poems I 279–81 · Commentary I 1176–80]
ts1 (Berg; WLFacs 104–107): two loose leaves of lightweight typing paper with horizontal chainlines but no watermark (matching Gerontion ts3). Ribbon copy with annotations in ink (by TSE or possibly Vivien Eliot?), then in pencil by Pound. On verso of second leaf, in pencil:
Encounter
—
Imprisonment
Flight Meeting
Afterwar
ds
Giving these words in a footnote in WLFacs (where they are not shown in facsimile), Valerie Eliot added: “These words may refer to the plot of John Webster’s The Duchess of Malfi.” Previously, Gallup 1968 had noted they were “possibly, as Mrs Eliot suggests, an outline for La Figlia Che Piange”. Browning’s The Flight of the Duchess (for which see Commentary to The Death of the Duchess II 7–10, 16–17) was followed by Meeting at Night.
Title] added in ink in cramped capitals
Part numbers] added in pencil, perhaps by Vivien Eliot (though attrib. to Pound in WLFacs)
I 1–8] “have silk hats · · · last is gone | They” ringed with empty box above by Pound
I 5 feel] feel a 1st reading
I 10–13] braced by Pound
I 10 for you and me] ringed by Pound
I 12 do] with “?” added
I 13] ringed by Pound
I 14–15] del by Pound
I ^ II] rule (perhaps by Vivien Eliot) with II and again II. in margin
II 1] In the evening and people hang upon the bridge rail marked for transposition, Pound
II 5 Dogs’] Dogs ts eyes] heads 1st reading
II 6 in] not 1st reading
II 9] ringed with “?” by TSE, then bracketed by Pound
II 15–16] braced by both TSE and Pound
II 16 and other bird things] within open box by Pound
II 17 but no wings.] within open box by Pound
II 19 floor] underlined with double loop by Pound
II 22] braced ts into] like 1st reading