Ezra Weston Loomis Pound (1885 – 1972) was an expatriate American poet and critic, a major figure in the early modernist poetry movement, and a fascist collaborator in Italy during World War II. His works include Ripostes (1912), Hugh Selwyn Mauberley (1920), and his 800-page epic poem, The Cantos (c. 1917–1962).
Pound’s contribution to poetry began in the early 20th century with his role in developing Imagism, a movement stressing precision and economy of language. Working in London as foreign editor of several American literary magazines, he helped discover and shape the work of contemporaries such as T. S. Eliot, Ernest Hemingway, and James Joyce. He was responsible for the 1914 serialization of Joyce’s A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, the 1915 publication of Eliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”, and the serialization from 1918 of Joyce’s Ulysses. Hemingway wrote in 1932 that, for poets born in the late 19th or early 20th century, not to be influenced by Pound would be “like passing through a great blizzard and not feeling its cold.”
Angered by the carnage of World War I, Pound blamed the war on finance capitalism, which he called “usury”. He moved to Italy in 1924 and through the 1930s and 1940s promoted an economic theory known as social credit, wrote for publications owned by the British fascist Sir Oswald Mosley, embraced Benito Mussolini’s fascism, and expressed support for Adolf Hitler. During World War II and the Holocaust in Italy, he made hundreds of paid radio broadcasts for the Italian government, including in German-occupied Italy, attacking the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt and, above all, Jews, as a result of which he was arrested in 1945 by American forces in Italy on charges of treason. He spent months in a U.S. military camp in Pisa, including three weeks in an outdoor steel cage. Deemed unfit to stand trial, he was incarcerated in St. Elizabeths psychiatric hospital in Washington, D.C., for over 12 years.
While in custody in Italy, Pound began work on sections of The Cantos that were published as The Pisan Cantos (1948), for which he was awarded the Bollingen Prize for Poetry in 1949 by the Library of Congress, causing enormous controversy. After a campaign by his fellow writers, he was released from St. Elizabeths in 1958 and lived in Italy until his death in 1972. His political views have ensured that his life and work remain controversial.
After the Bollingen Prize in 1949, Pound’s friends made every effort to rehabilitate him. James Laughlin’s New Directions Publishing published his Selected Poems, with an introduction by Eliot, and a censored selection of The Cantos. Ralph Fletcher Seymour published Patria Mia (written around 1912) to show that Pound was an American patriot. In advertisements, magazine articles, and critical introductions, Pound’s friends and publishers attributed his antisemitism and fascism to mental illness.
Much of Pound’s legacy lies in his advancement of some of the best-known modernist writers of the early 20th century, particularly between 1910 and 1925. In addition to T. S. Eliot, James Joyce, C. S. Lewis, Arthur B. Frost, Williams, Ernest Hemingway, H.D., Aldington, and Aiken, he befriended and helped Cummings, Bunting, Ford, Marianne Moore, Louis Zukofsky, Jacob Epstein, Margaret Anderson, George Oppen, and Charles Olson.
Ezra Pound – First Editions Identification Guide
This is a selected bibliography of Ezra Pound’s works. Contains his major works and does not include all the reprints/variants. For complete list, please refer to the reference section.
| Year | Title | Publisher | First edition/printing identification points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1908 | A Lume Spento | Venice: A. Antonini, [1908] | Green paper wrappers printed in black(1s. 6d.). "Published A. Antonini .. In the City of Aldus MCMVIII." stated on © page. 150 copies printed. Published about 20 July 1908. Points: the word "is" omitted in the dedication and misprints in the note on page 10, "manuscnipt" for "manuscript," and in the last line on page 24, "immortalily" for "immortality." (In most copies the omitted word in the dedication has been supplied and the second "l" of "immortalily" crossed in manuscript by the author.) |
| 1908 | A Quinzaine for This Yule | London: Pollock and Elkin Mathews, [1908] | Wrappers sewn with red cord (1s. 6d.). Two issues, priority as listed:
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| 1909 | Personae | London: Elkin Mathews, 1909 | Drab or (later) light brown paper boards lettered in gold on front cover (2s. 6d.) "First published in April, 1909" stated on © page. Published 16 April 1909. |
| 1909 | Exultations | London: Elkin Mathews. 1909 | Dark red paper boards lettered in gold on front cover (2s.6d.). Published 25 October 1909 . |
| 1910 | The Spirit of Romance | London: J. M. Dent & Sons. [1910] | Olive brown (or, later, olive green) cloth boards stamped in blind with ruled border and device on front cover and in gold on spine. Grey dust-jacket printed in green (6s.). 1250 sets of sheets printed (of which 300 were used for the American issue). Published 20 June 1910. ALSO: New York: E. P. Dutton, [1910]. First American edition. Olive cloth boards stamped in blind on front cover and in gold on spine ($2.50). 300 copies printed. Published July 1910. |
| 1910 | Provenca | Boston: Small, Maynard and Company. [1910] | Tan paper boards stamped in dark brown on front cover and up the spine. Two issues, priority as listed:
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| 1911 | Canzoni | London: Elkin Mathews, 1911 | Streaky grey cloth boards lettered in gold at top of front cover (3s. 6d.). ALSO:London, Elkin Mathews, M CM XIII. Reissue, with Ripostes, Brown paper boards lettered in gold at center of front cover. |
| 1912 | Ripostes | Stephen Swift & Co., London, MCMXII | Streaky grey cloth boards stamped in gold on front cover, end-papers; edges untrimmed. Grey-blue dust-jacket printed in dark blue (3s. 6d). Published October 1912 . ALSO: Second issue, with Canzoni (see Canzoni, 1912). ALSO: Boston: Small, Maynard & Co., 1913. Third issue. First American edition. Red paper boards lettered in black on front cover and up the spine ($1.00). Published July 1913. |
| 1915 | Cathay | London: Elkin Mathews, MCMXV | Heavy tan paper wrappers, printed in black on pages [i] and [iv], folded over end-papers(1s.). 1000 copies printed. Published 6 April 1915. Note: An advertisement leaf headed "Ezra Pound’s New Book [i.e. Cathay]" was loosely laid in some copies and inserted following page [32] in others. |
| 1916 | Gaudier-Brzeska. A Memoir | London: John Lane, MCMXVI | Grey-green cloth boards embossed in blind with reproduction of a green stone charm by Gaudier-Brzeska on front cover and lettered in gold on front cover and on spine, with, at base of spine: THE BODLEY HEAD; top edges stained grey-green. White dust-jacket printed in black (with reproduction of plate IV on front) (12s. 6d.). ALSO: John Lane, New York, MCMXVI. Olive green cloth boards stamped in blind with design on front cover and lettered in gold on spine, with, at base of spine: JOHN LANE | COMPANY. White dust-jacket printed in black ($3.50). |
| 1916 | Certain Noble Plays of Japan | The Cuala Press, MCMXVI | Grey paper boards printed in black on front cover, with tan linen back; grey endpapers (11s.). Limited to 350 numbered copies. |
| 1916 | Noh' or Accomplishment | Macmillan & Co, London, 19116 | Blue cloth boards stamped in black on front cover and in gold on spine (with, at base: MACMILLAN & CO or, later?: MACMILLAN | & CO); laid (or, later? wove) end-papers. Yellow dust-jacket printed in red (7s.6d.). Published 12 January 1917. ALSO: NewYork: Alfred A. Knopf, MCMXII. First American edition. Blue cloth boards, with white paper label printed in black on spine. Proably issued in dust jacket($2.75). ALSO: Second American impression. Binding as above ($3.00) but wtih "Published June, 1917" stated on © page. |
| 1916 | Lustra | London: Elkin Mathews, [1916] | Tan cloth boards lettered in dark blue on front cover and up the spine (5s). Privately printed, limited to 200 numbered copies. ALSO: London, Elkin Mathews, M CM XVI. Second impressions (abridged text). Tan cloth boards lettered in blue on front cover and up the spine and stamped in blue on back cover (5s). 800 copies printed. Published October 1916. Note: Later copies have plain glassine dust-jacket. ALSO: Privately printed. First American edition. Limited to 60 numbered copies. Blue cloth boards with white paper label on spine printed in black. ALSO: New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Mcmxvii. Second American impression. Yellow paper boards stamped in blue on both covers and on spine. Salmon dust-jacket printed in dark blue ($1.50). "Published 16 October 1917" stated on © page. |
| 1917 | Twelve Dialogues of Fontenelle | London: Egoist Ltd., 1917 | Heavy gold paper wrappers printed in black on page [i]. (1s. 3d.) 500 copies printed. Published October 1917. |
| 1918 | Pavannes and Divisions | New York: Alfred A. Knopf, MCMXVIII | Two states, priority as listed:
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| 1919 | Quia Pauper Amavi | London: Egoist Press, [1919] | Two issues, no priority:
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| 1919 | The Fourth Canto | London: Ovid Press, 1919 | Two states, priority as listed:
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| 1920 | Hugh Selwyn Mauberley | London: Ovid Press, 1920 | Brown paper boards, tan (or green) cloth back, with white paper label printed in black inlaid on front cover; initial and final blank leaf pasted down as front and back end paper respectively. Three issues, no priority:
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| 1920 | Instigations | Boni and Liveright, New York, [1920] | Blue cloth boards stamped in blind on front cover and in gold on spine, with top edges stained blue, or (later?) purple cloth stamped in blind on front cover and in yellow-green on spine, with top edges stained slate. White dust-jacket printed in black and yellow, with design by H. Brodzky on the front ($3.00). "Copyright, 1920, by Ezra Pound" stated on © page. 800 copies printed. Published 25 April 1920. |
| 1920 | Umbra | London: Elkin Mathews, MCMXX | Two issues, no priority:
|
| 1921 | Poems 1918-1921 | New York: Boni & Liveright, [1921] | Blue paper boards with white imitation-vellum back stamped in gold on spine. Grey dust-jacket printed in two shades of blue ($2.50). "Copyright, 1921, by Boni and Liveright Inc." stated on © page. Published 8 December 1921. |
| 1922 | The Natural Philosophy of Love | Boni and Liveright, New York, [1922] | Green cloth boards with tan paper label printed in brown on spine. Top edge stained green. Blue dust-jacket printed in blue ($5,00). Published 10 August 1922. Notes: Later printings, not so identified, have variant B&L monogram, unframed, on the title-page. In these copies the staining of the top edges varies. Some copies of the first printing have a tiiiped in sheet "Important Notice This work is supplied to the Bookseller on condition that all discretion shall be used in its sale or distribution. ..." |
| 1923 | Indiscretions, or, Une revue des deux mondes | Paris: Three Mountains Press, 1923 | Grey paper boards stamped in red and black on front cover, with yellow cloth back (45 francs). Limited to 300 numbered copies. |
| 1923 | The Call of the Road | Boni and Liveright, New York, [1923] | Black cloth boards stamped in grey on front cover and on spine; decorated end-papers. White dust-jacket printed in khaki and silver ($2.00). "Copyright, 1923, by Boni and Liveright Inc." stated on © page. |
| 1924 | Antheil and the Treatise on Harmony | Paris: Three Mountains Press, 1924 | Two issues, no priority: (A) Limited edition of 40 numbered copies on Arches paper, Heavy red paper wrappers printed in black on pages [i] and [iv]. (40 francs). Notes: It was originally sold unsigned..Some were subsequently signed by George Antheil, some by Ezra Pound, and some by both. (B) Heavy red paper wrappers printed in black on pages [i] and [iv] , with price (10 francs) on page [i]. 400 copies printed. Published October 1924. ALSO: Chicago, Pascal Covici, MCMXXVII. First American edition. Brown cloth boards stamped in black on front cover and down the spine. White dust-jacket printed in black and green ($2.00). "Copyright, 1927, by, Pascal Covici" stated on © page. |
| 1925 | A Draft of XVI Cantos | Paris: Three Mountains Press, M. CM. XXV | Three-quarter white vellum and decorated paper boards (of varying colours and design) (or, later- circa September 1928; full red vellum boards) lettered in gold on upper-left front cover. The issues, no priority:
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| 1926 | Personae: The Collected of Ezra Pound | New York: Boni & Liveright, 1926 | Dark blue cloth boards stamped in gold on front cover and on spine. Brown dust-jacket printed in black ($3.50). "Copyright, 1926" stated on © page. |
| 1928 | A Draft of the Cantos 17-27 | London: John Rodker, 1928 | Red vellum boards stamped in gold on front cover. Limited to 100 copies. Four issues, no priority:
|
| 1928 | Selected Poems | London: Faber & Gwyer, [1928] | Two issues, no priority:
|
| 1928 | Ta Hio: The Great Learning, newly rendered into the American language | Seattle: University of Washington Bookstore, 1928 | Black paper wrappers printed in gold on page [i], folded over stiff tan blanks Glassine envelope printed in black on front: first edition , with flap sealed with sticker bearing the publisher’s device (65c). Published 10 April 1928. ALSO: London, Stanley Nott, [1936]. First English edition. Yellow paper boards printed in black on front cover. Yellow dust-jacket printed in black. Notes: A new edition (1000 copies), issued by New Directions in New York in August 1939, although announced to contain new notes and revisions by Ezra Pound, is merely a reprint. |
| 1930 | A Draft of XXX Cantos | Paris: Hours Press. [1933] | Three issues, no priority:
ALSO: London: Farber & Farber, , [1933]. First English edition. Black cloth boards stamped in gold down the spine; end-papers; top edges stained yellow. Orange-red dust-jacket printed in blue (7s. 6d.). 1500 copies printed. Published 14 September 1933. "First published in September MCMXXXIII" stated on © page. The misprints on page [2], "FONTANELLE" for "FONTENELLE," and on the front flap of the dust-jacket, "Westcott" for "Wescott,". |
| 1930 | Imaginary Letters | Paris: Black Sun Press,MCMXXX | Heavy white paper wrappers, printed in red and black on pages [i] and [iv], folded over first and last blank leaves. Plain outer glassine wrapper also folded over blank leaves. Plain tan paper-covered box ($5.00). Three issues, no priority:
|
| 1931 | How to Read | Desmond Harmsworth, London, [1931] | Red cloth boards of rough finish stamped in silver (or, later, of smooth finish stamped in black) up the spine. Grey dust-jacket printed in red (2s.). "first published in MCMXXXI" stated on © page. Published 2 December 1931. |
| 1933 | ABC of Economics | London: Faber & Faber, [1933] | Purple cloth boards lettered in red on spine. Yellow dust-jacket printed in red and black (3s. 6d.). "First published in April MCMXXXIII" stated on © page. |
| 1934 | Eleven New Cantos: XXXI-XLI | New York: Farrar & Rinehart, [1934] | Black cloth boards lettered in silver down the spine. Blue dust-jacket printed in blue and black ($1.50). Misprint in the list of books "by Ezra Pound" facing the title-page, "FONTANELLE" for "FONTENELLE". 1500 copies printed. Published 8 October 1934. ALSO: London: Faber & Faber, [1935]. First English edition. Black cloth boards lettered in gold down the spine.Mauve dustjacket printed in red (6s.). 1500 copies printed. Published 14 March 1935. |
| 1934 | Homage to Sextus Propertius | London: Faber & Faber, [1934] | Light or dark blue boards lettered in purple down the spine. Rose dust-jacket printed in blue (2s. 6d.). "First published in November MCMXXXIV" stated on © page. 1000 copies printed. Published 8 November 1934. |
| 1934 | ABC of Reading | London: George Routledge & Sons, 1934 | Rough (or, later, smooth) red cloth boards lettered in gold (or, later, black) on spine; end-papers. Cream dust-jacket printed in red (4s 6d.). 2000 copies printed. Published 24 May 1934. ALSO: New Haven, Yale University Press, 1934. First American edition. Green cloth boards stamped in black on spine. Green dust-jacket printed in red and black ($2.00). 1016 copies printed. Published 18 September 1934. |
| 1934 | Make It New | London: Faber & Faber, [1934] | Fine- (later coarse-) grain green cloth boards lettered in gold on spine (publishers’ name at foot in letters at first approximately 3-5 mm.—later approximately 4 mm.—high, with the "N" in "AND" at first approximately 4 mm.—later approximately 3 mm.—wide); end-papers (at first thick, later thin); top edges stained purple-brown. Green dust-jacket printed in black and red (later with old price clipped from lower front flap and new price printed in) (12s. 6d.). 1600 copies printed. ALSO: New Haven, Yale University Press, 1935. Tan cloth boards stamped in green on both covers and on spine. Green dust-jacket printed in black ($3.75). 1000 copies printed. .Published 12 March 1935. |
| 1935 | Alfred Venison's: Social Credit Themes by the Poet of Titchfield Street | London: Stanley Nott, Ltd., [1935] | Heavy tan paper wrappers printed in red on pages [iiv]; wire-stitched (6d.) 2000 copies printed. Published April 1935 . |
| 1935 | Jefferson and/or Mussolini | London: Stanley Nott, [1935] | Two issues, no priority:
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| 1935 | Social Credit: An Impact | London: Stanley Nott, [1935] | Heavy tan paper wrappers printed in red on pages [i-iv]; wire-stitched (6d.)."first published in 1935 " stated on © page. 4000 copies printed.Published May 1935. |
| 1937 | Polite Essays | London: Faber & Faber, [1937] | Red cloth boards stamped in gold on spine; top edges stained yellow-green. Lavender dust-jacket printed in black and red (7s. 6d.). "First published in February Mcmxxxvii" stated on © page. 2000 copies printed. Published 11 February 1937. ALSO: New Directions, Norfolk, Conn., [1940]. First American edition. Red cloth boards, with white paper label printed in black on spine. White dust-jacket printed in grey and red ($2.50). |
| 1937 | Confucius: Digest of the Analects | Milan: Giovanni Scheiwiller, [1937] | Yellow paper wrappers, printed in black on page [i]: KUNG FU TSEU | [ideograms], folded over stiff white blanks and first and last blank leaves. Two issues, no priority:
|
| 1937 | The Fifth Decad of Cantos | London: Farber & Farber, , [1937] | Black cloth boards lettered in gold down the spine. Rose dust-jacket printed in black and blue (6s.) . "First published in June MCMXXXVII" stated on © page. 1012 copies printed. Published 3 June 1937. ALSO: Farrar & Rinehart, New York, [1937]. First American edition. Black cloth boards stamped in silver on spine. Tan dust-jacket printed in blue and black.($1.50). 750 copies printed (of which 419 were used for the 2nd issue published by New Directions in 1940). Published 29 November 1937. |
| 1938 | Guide to Kulchur | London: Farber & Farber, , [1938] | Green cloth boards lettered in gold on spine. Cream dust-jacket printed in grey, red, and green (10s. 6d.); (later copies with yellow paper sticker pasted on front flap altering price to 12s. 6d.). "First published in June Mcmxxxviii " stated on © page. Published 21 July 1938. ALSO: New DIrections, Norfolk, Conn., 1938. First American edition. Blue cloth boards lettered in gold on spine. White dust-jacket printed in grey and red ($2.50). 519 copies printed. Published 11 November 1938. Note: After these 519 copies had been sold, New Directions imported and sold copies of the English edition at S3.00 |
| 1939 | What Is Money For?. Greater Britain Publications Money Pamphlets by Pound, no. 3 | London: Greater Britain Publications, [1939] | Wrapeprs, wire-stitched (2d). |
| 1940 | Cantos LXII-London: Egoist Ltd.,I | London: Farber & Farber, [1940] | Black cloth boards lettered in gold down the spine; top edges stained yellow. Cream dust-jacket printed in red and black (10s. 6d.); (later with old price clipped from front flap and new price stamped in). "First published in February MCMXL" stated on © page.1000 copies printed. Published 25 January 1940. ALSO: New Directions, Norfolk, Conn., [1940]. First American edition. Black cloth boards lettered in silver down the spine. Cream dust-jacket printed in purple and red ($2.50). 1000 copies printed (of which the first 500 copies have an envelope pasted to the inside back cover containing a pamphlet, Notes on Ezra Pound’s Cantos: Structure & Metric) Published 17 September 1940. |
| 1942 | Carta da Visita di Ezra Pound | Roma: Edizioni di Lettere d'Oggi, 1942 | Heavy white paper wrappers, printed in pink, black, and green on page [i], on spine and on back flap, and in pink and black on front flap and on page [iv]. (A later state of the wrappers has the price on page [iv]: SEDICI LIRE). Two issues, no priority:
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| 1944 | L'America, Roosevelt e le cause della guerra presente CX-CXVII | Venezia: Newasa Editrice della Edizioni Popolari, 1944 | Heavy buff paper wrappers printed in black and red (as above) on page fi] and in black (with price) on page [iv]; wire stitched. Notes: Tenth line up on page 16 has, pasted over it, a typed slip of paper, correcting the line to read: "quanto egli sapesse io ero il primo a mettere in-". Most copies have the following corrections in pencil: page 8, line 12 up, "bene" corrected to "bono"; page 17, line 3, date "(1776)" cancelled; page 19, line 3 up, "Sir" deleted; page 22, line 13, "richiede" corrected to "risiede"; and, in some copies, page 23, line 2 up, "sco-" corrected to "co-." |
| 1944 | Introduzione alla Natura Economica degli S.U.A. | Venezia: Casa Editrice Della Edizioni Popolari, 1944 | Heavy white paper wrappers printed in black and red on page fi] and in black on page [iv]; wire-stitched. Published June 1944. |
| 1944 | Orientamenti | Venezia: Casa Editrice Delle Edizioni Popolari, 1944 | Stiff white paper wrappers printed in brown on pages [i] and [iv]; wire-stitched. Published July 1944. |
| 1945 | Chiung Iung L'asse Che Non Vacilla | Venezia: Casa Editrice Delle Edizioni Popolari, 1945 | Heavy buff paper wrappers printed in black and red on page [i] and in black on page [iv]. Published February 1945. Notes: Although the pamphlet was published and copies were sold, the bulk of the edition was burned immediately after the Liberation because (“asse” being the Italian word for “axis”) the text was condemned, unread, as propaganda in favor of the Berlin-Rome-Tokyo Axis. |
| 1948 | If This Be Treason ..... | Siena: privately printed for Olga Rudge by Tip Nuova | Stiff green paper wrappers printed in black on page [i]; wire-stitched. Limited edition. Probably 300 copies printed, distributed gratis. Most copies unumbered. |
| 1948 | The Pisan Cantos | New Directions, New York, [1948] | Black cloth boards lettered in silver down the spine. Grey dust jacket printed in green ($2.75). 1525 copies printed. ALSO: London: Farber & Farber, [1949]. First English edition. Black cloth boards lettered in gold down the spine. Buff dust-jacket printed in red and black (12s. 6d.). "First published in mcmxlix" stated on © page. 1976 copies printed. Published 22 July 1949. Notes: In the first impression, pages 104 and 105 occur in the wrong order, which should be, as numbered: 103, 105, 104, 106. The error was corrected in later impressions, which are identified on the verso of the title-leaf. |
| 1948 | The Cantos of Ezra Pound | New Directions, New York, [1948] | Black cloth boards lettered in silver down the spine. Green dust-jacket printed in purple ($5.00). 2897 copies printed. Published 30 July 1948. ALSO: London: Farber & Farber, [1950]. First English edition. Black cloth boards lettered in gold on spine. White dust-jacket printed in red and black (25s.) "First published in MCML" stated on © page. 1633 copies printed. Published 1 September 1950. |
| 1950 | Patria Mia | Chicago: R. F. Seymour, [1950] | Brown cloth boards stamped in dark brown on both covers and down the spine. White dust-jacket printed in blue and black ($2.75). Published 24 May 1950. ALSO: Peter Owen Limited: London, [1962]. First English Edition. Dark green cloth boards stamped in gold on spine. Green dust-jacket printed in red (21s.) 1500 copies printed. Published April 1962. |
| 1947 | Confucius: The Unwobbling Pivot & The Great Digest | New York: New Directions | Heavy rose paper wrappers printed in black on page [i]. ($1.00). 929 copies printed. Published 18 March 1947. Notes: “The Unwobbling Pivot” is an English version of Ciung lung. L’asse che non vacilla (1945). “The Great Digest” is an English version of Confucio. Ta S’eu. Dai Gaku. Studio integrale (1942). |
| 1951 | Confuciian Analects | Kaspar & David Horton, Square $ Series, New York | Stiff grey paper wrappers (with, in some copies, white paper wrap-around printed in red) printed in black on pages fi] and [iv], on flaps, and down the spine; stapled ($1.00). Published Autumn 1951. |
| 1954 | The Classic Anthology Defined by Confucius | Harvard University Press, MCMLIV | Grey-green paper boards with decorative design of wavy black and grey vertical lines, with white paper label printed in black on spine. White dust-jacket printed in black and red with, on back, a reproduction of Wyndham Lewis’s portrait of Ezra Pound ($5.00). 4000 sets of sheets printed (of which 785 were used for the English issue in 1955). ALSO: London: Farber & Farber, [1955]. First English edition. Blue cloth boards stamped in gold on spine. Yellow dust-jacket printed in red and black (30s.). "First published in England MCMLV" stated on © page. Notes: A second impression of 1506 copies was prepared by the Harvard University Press in June 1955. Of this impression 756 copies, with title-leaf as in the English issue of the first impression but integral.These copies have a misprint “AIRS OF PIE” for “AIRS OF PEI” in the running-title at the foot of page 19. The paper is watermarked “Warren’s olde style”, and the (reprinted) jacket has two errors on the back: “by GEORGE BAKER” for “by GEORGE BARKER” and “by EDWIN MOORE” for “by EDWIN MUIR”. |
| 1955 | Section: Rock-Drill, 85â€"95 de los Cantares. All'insegna del pesce d'oro | Milano, MCMLV | Grey paper boards printed in brown and black on front cover and in black up the spine. Plain cellophane dust-jacket. 506 copies printed. Published September 1955. ALSO: A New Directions Book, New York, [1956]. First American edition. Black cloth boards lettered in silver down the spine. Grey dust-jacket printed in red-brown ($3.00). "First Printing" stated on © page. 2081 copies printed. Published 30 March 1956. ALSO: London: Farber & Farber, [1957]. First English edition. Black cloth boards stamped in gold down the spine. Yellow dust-jacket printed in red-brown (12s. 6d.). "First published in England in mcmlvii" stated on © page. 2000 copies printed. Published 15 February 1957. |
| 1956 | Sophocles: The Women of Trachis. A Version by Ezra Pound. Neville Spearman | London, Neville Spearman, [1956] | Red cloth boards lettered in gold down the spine. Grey dust-jacket printed in red and blue (10s. 6d.). "First published in 1956" on pasted label on page [iv]. 1000 copies printed. Published 30 November 1956. ALSO: New York, New Directions, [1957]. First American edition. Black cloth boards lettered in silver down the spine. White dust-jacket printed in black and red ($3.00). 3000 copies printed. Published 27 March 1957. |
| 1957 | Gaudier-Brzeska | Milano, [1957] | Stiff plain white paper wrappers. Cream dust-jacket printed in red and black. Limited edition of 1000 numbered copies (of which 1-500 are in English and 501-1000 in Italian. Note: A misprint, “Episten” for “Epstein,” in line 14 on page 27 (first count), was corrected in manuscript by the publisher in many copies. |
| 1959 | Thrones de los Cantares | Milano, MCMLIX | Limited edition of 300 numbered copies.Tan paper boards printed in red and black on front cover, and in black on back cover and up the spine. Plain cellophane dust-jacket. Published 7 December 1959. ALSO: A New Directions Books, New York, [1959]. First American edition. Black cloth boards lettered in silver down the spine. Grey dust-jacket printed in dark blue ($3.50). 3000 copies printed. Published 7 December 1959. Note: In later copies, an “erratum” slip, correcting the misprint in line 9, page 85 (“no war” for “One war”), is tipped in at the foot of the third leaf. ALSO: London: Farber & Farber, [1960]. First English edition. Red cloth boards stamped in gold down the spine. Green dust-jacket printed in red and dark grey (18s.). 2290 copies printed. Published 7 December 1959. Note: In this edition, lines 8 and 9 on page 85 are omitted. |
| 1965 | Canto CX | Cambridge, Mass., As Sextant Press, [1965] | Heavy orange paper wrappers printed in black on page [i]; sewn. Privately printed for the author's 80th birthday 30 October 1965. Three issues, no priority:
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| 1969 | Drafts and Fragments: Cantos CX-CXVII | A New Directions Book, [1969] | Black cloth boards stamped in blind on front cover and in silver down the spine. White dust-jacket printed all-over in buff, and in blue ($3.95). 3000 copies printed. ALSO: London: Farber & Farber, [1970]. First English edition. Black cloth boards stamped in gold down the spine. Buff dust-jacket printed in black, red, and grey (20s.). 2000 copies printed. "First published in England in 1970" stated on © page. |
Ezra Pound – First Printing Dust Jackets Identification Guide
Gallery of First state Dust Jackets of Pound’s works. Only includes the first appearance in book form. Either the UK or US edition and does not include later printings.
Reference:
- Wikipedia
- Donald Gallup: Ezra Pound, A Bibliography 1983
