The Complete Works of W. H. Auden: Poems, Volume I: 1927-1939

W. H. Auden is one of the greatest poets of the twentieth century, and this is the first of two volumes of the first complete edition of his poems. Edited by Edward Mendelson, it includes all his published and unpublished works, including juvenilia, songs, and verses for magazines. The main text presents the poems in their original published versions, with notes explaining revisions and obscure references. The second volume is also available.

Format: Hardback
Length: 848 pages
Publication date: 14 June 2022
Publisher: Princeton University Press

W. H. Auden (1907-1973) is widely regarded as one of the greatest poets of the 20th century, and his reputation has continued to soar posthumously. To mark the centenary of the year when he embarked on his poetic journey, this remarkable edition presents the first of two volumes, comprising the inaugural complete collection of Auden's poems. Edited, introduced, and annotated by esteemed Auden scholar Edward Mendelson, this definitive edition encompasses all the poems Auden authored for publication, presented in their original texts, along with his subsequent revised versions. Additionally, it includes unpublished poems and songs, some of which are presented here for the first time.

This volume serves as a comprehensive chronicle of Auden's early career, encompassing all the poems he published or submitted for publication, beginning with his first printed work in 1927 at the age of twenty and extending through the poems he composed during his initial months in America in 1939, when he was thirty-two. The book also features poems that Auden wrote during his adult career, with the hope of eventual publication, but which remained unpublished; song lyrics intended for musical composition by Benjamin Britten, which were never printed; and verses crafted for magazines at schools where he taught.

The primary text presents the poems in their original published formats. The accompanying notes contain extensive revisions that Auden made to his poems throughout his career, offering explanations for any obscure references.

The second volume of this edition, Poems, Volume 2: 1940-1973, is also available to further explore the rich tapestry of Auden's poetic legacy.

Weight: 1318g
Dimension: 166 x 242 x 54 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780691219295