by T. S. Eliot
II 17] broken] cracked ms1
[Poem I 11–12 · Commentary I 406–407]
II 18–28] opening quotation marks start each line, with closing quotation marks at end of 27 reopening at 28 ms1
II 19 feelings] feeling ms1 feel,] feel … ms1
II 21 You] “You Cath Anth
II 23 can say] will think ms1 at · · · failed.] ‘At · · · failed.’ New Poetry
II 23 ^ 24] line space ms1, Cath Anth, 1917, AraVP, US 1920 ‖ new page so line spacing indeterminate Others, Others Anth, 1925, 1932, US 1936 ‖ no line space New Poetry, 1936+
II 24 But] “But Cath Anth friend,] friend ms1
II 25 can] have ms1 1st reading
II 26 Only] —Only ms1
II 28 I] “I Cath Anth, New Poetry friends …”] friends”— ms1
II 29 I] —I ms1 hat: how] hat. How ms1
II 30 ^ 31] line space ms1, Others, New Poetry, AraVP ‖ no line space Cath Anth, 1925+ ‖ new page so line spacing indeterminate 1917, US 1920
II 33 remark] remark. 1969 (error, corrected in later printings)
II 36 confessed.] confessed:— ms1
II 37 countenance,] countenance— ms1
II 38 self-possessed] self-possessed. ms1 ‖ self-possessed, TSE’s emendation in Morley’s US 1920
II 39 street piano] ms1 and texts prior to 1963 ‖ street-piano 1963+ tired] tired, New Poetry, TSE’s emendation in Morley’s US 1920.
II 40 song] song, Cath Anth, New Poetry
II 41 garden] garden— ms1
II 42 desired.] desired— ms1
III
III 1 down; returning] down, recurring ms1 ‖ down. Returning New Poetry before] before, Cath Anth, New Poetry, TSE’s emendation in Morley’s US 1920
III 2 ease] ease— ms1 ‖ ease, Cath Anth, New Poetry, TSE’s emendation in Morley’s US 1920
III 3 door] door, Cath Anth
III 4 ^ 5] no line space 1932+ ‖ line space ms1 and printings prior to 1925 ‖ new page so line spacing indeterminate 1925
III 5 “And so] “So ms1
III 6–8] opening quotation marks start each line ms1
III 7 You] Indeed, you ms1 back,] back ms1
III 9 bric-à-brac] bric-a-brac ms1, Others, Cath Anth, New Poetry
III 11 second;] second— ms1
[Poem I 12–13 · Commentary I 408–409]
III 12 ^ 13] no line space ms1, printings prior to US 1920, 1936+ ‖ line space 1925 ‖ new page so line spacing indeterminate US 1920, 1932. It may be that during the setting of 1925 from US 1920, the compositor noticed that several speeches by the lady begin after a line space, and assumed that one was intended here. But when 1936 was set from 1932, where the spacing was again indeterminate, the new compositor took the opposite decision.
III 14–15] opening quotation marks start each line ms1
III 14 (But] —(And ms1 ends!)] ends!)— ms1
III 15 ^ 16] line space AraVP
III 16 turning] turning, ms1
III 18 gutters; we] gutters. We ms1
III 19–24] opening quotation marks start each line ms1
III 19 friends,] friends— ms1
III 22–24] inset ms1
III 24 late.] late.” ms1
III 24 ^ 25] line space AraVP
III 25] not ms1 1st reading
III 25 ^ 26] line space ms1, printings prior to 1936, US 1936, US 1952, added by TSE in Washington copy 1954, 1963+ ‖ no line space 1936 (where 25 is the first line on the page) and subsequent printings until 1963
III 26 I must] I … must ms1
III 27 To find] For my ms1 … dance,] —dance ms1
III 28 Like] Dance like ms1
III 29 Cry] Whistle ms1 1st reading ape.] ape; ms1
III 30 trance—] trance. Cath Anth ‖ trance … New Poetry
III 30 ^ 31] line space ms1, Others, Cath Anth, 1936+ ‖ new page so line spacing indeterminate New Poetry, 1917, AraVP, 1932 ‖ no line space US 1920, 1925. The compositor of US 1920 may have been misled by the setting of 1917, but anyway had to set this final page tight to prevent III 40 (the final line of the poem) appearing alone on a new page. The US 1920 setting itself became an erroneous precedent for 1925 (where III 30 began a new page, so a line space immediately following would have been ungainly). The spacing was again indeterminate in 1932, so the reintroduction of a line space in 1936 may have come about by chance or through revision.
III 31 Well! and] Well. And ms frag afternoon,] afternoon ms frag
III 32–36 and 38–41] inset ms frag
III 32 smoky] sombre ms frag rose;] rose ms frag
III 33 die] die, ms frag, ms1
III 34 above] across ms frag, ms1 housetops;] US 1920+ ‖ housetops— ms1 frag ‖ house-tops ms1 ‖ house tops; Others, Cath Anth, New Poetry ‖ house-|tops; (turned line) 1917 ‖ house-tops; AraVP
III 35] not ms frag 1st reading Doubtful,] Doubtful ms1 for] 1925+ ‖ for quite ms frag, ms1, printings prior to 1925, US 1927, US 1929
[Poem I 13–14 · Commentary I 410]
III 36 feel] suppose, ms frag ‖ feel, ms1, Cath Anth or] nor ms1 if I] what to ms frag understand] understand, Cath Anth
III 37 Or whether] Whether ms frag 1st reading ‖ And whether ms frag 2nd reading foolish,] silly ms frag 1st reading ‖ puerile ms frag 3rd reading ‖ futile ms frag final reading soon …] soon ms frag ‖ soon, ms1
III 38 Would] —Would ms1 advantage,] advantage ms frag (perhaps with a dash afterwards), ms1 all?] all ms frag
III 39 This] (This ms1 with] “with ms frag (uncertain 1st reading, not erased but presumably superseded by the quotation mark before “dying” which is more evident) fall”] fall,” TSE’s emendation in Morley’s US 1920
III 40 dying—] dying—) ms1
Preludes
Published Blast 2, July 1915 (on the two pages before the heading “Poems | by | T. S. Eliot”, beneath which appears the single poem Rhapsody on a Windy Night), then 1917+. Repr., after publication of 1917, in Others Anthology (1917), which TSE reviewed in Observations (1918). Others Anth follows Blast except where noted.
ms1 (Berg): Notebook 15–17, plus leaf laid in (supplying IV); black ink and pencil.
Valerie’s Own Book: fair copy (three pages).
Title] Four Preludes recording label of 78 rpm disc issued by the London Transcription Service (10PH 8166). The same title was used in a BBC broadcast, May 1942.
Numerals] not ms1 ‖ arabic numerals Others Anth
I
Title] Prelude in Dorchester | (Houses) ms1 1st reading ‖ Prelude in Roxbury | (Houses) ms1 2nd reading
I 1, 5 winter · · · gusty] ringed and linked ms1
I 2 smell] smells Others Anth passageways] passage ways ms1, Blast
I 3 o’clock] o clock ms1
I 4 burnt-out] ms1, Others Anth, 1917+ ‖ burnt out Blast ‖ Burn-out AraVP
I 7 about] around ms1 your] our Others Anth feet] feet, ms1
I 8 lots;] lots. ms1
I 10 chimney-pots,] chimney pots ms1
I 12 cab-horse] cab horse ms1 ‖ cabhorse Valerie’s Own Book
I 12 ^ 13] line space ms1, added by TSE in Washington copy 1954, 1963+ ‖ no line space printings prior to 1963
I 13 of the] up of ms1 lamps.] lamps! ms1, Blast
[Poems I 14–17 · Commentary I 410–14]
II
Title] Prelude in Roxbury ms1
II 3 sawdust-trampled] sawdust trampled ms1
II 4 all] not ms1 feet that] feet | that ms1 (stepped down on to new line)
II 5 ^ 6] line space ms1, 1917, US 1920, added by TSE in Washington copy 1954, 1963+ ‖ no lines space Blast, 1932 and subsequent printings prior to 1963, Valerie’s Own Book (where II 5 is the first line of a page) ‖ half-line space AraVP ‖ new page so line spacing indeterminate 1925
II 6 the] all ms1 1st reading masquerades] last two letters apparently written over -i- (for “masquerading”?)
II 7 resumes,] resumes ms1
II 7 ^ 8] half-line space AraVP
II 10 rooms.] rooms … ms1
III
Title] (Morgendämmerung) | Prelude in Roxbury ms1 only
Epigraph] “Son âme | de petite putain”: | Bubu. (stepped down on three lines) ms1 only
III 1 bed,] bed ms1
III 2 waited;] waited ms1
III 2 ^ 3] You flung an arm above your head ms1
III 3 revealing] final “g” not penned Valerie’s Own Book
III 4 The] A ms1 1st reading
III 5 Of] ms1 alt, Blast+ ‖ From ms1 1st reading constituted;] constituted: ms1
III 6 ^ 7] line space ms1
III 7 all] not Blast
III 8 shutters,] printings prior to 1936, 1974+ ‖ shutters ms1, printings 1936–69, US 1963 and later US printings, Valerie’s Own Book. Sesame and Sel Poems were not brought to conform with 1974 for many years
III 9 gutters,] gutters ms1
III 12 along] upon ms1
III 13 curled] dropped ms1 1st reading hair,] hair ms1
IV
Title] Abenddämmerung ms1 only
IV 2 block,] block ms1
IV 3 Or trampled] ms1 final reading+ ‖ Trampled ms1 1st reading ‖ And trampled ms1 2nd reading insistent] the insistent ms1
IV 4 At] Of 1st and final reading ms1 ‖ And ms1 alt four and five and six] seven and of six ms1 1st reading o’clock;] o’clock: ms1
[Poem I 15–16 · Commentary I 414–16]
IV 5 And] —And ms1 stuffing] ms1 alt, Blast+ ‖ cramming ms1 1st reading pipes,] pipes Blast
IV 6 newspapers,] newspapers— ms1
IV 7 Assured] S ms1 1st reading certain] uncertain ms1 certainties,] certainties: ms1
IV 9 ^ 10] no line space Blast
IV 10 moved] wrought ms1 fancies that are] ms1 alt and final reading ‖ various fancies, ms1 1st reading
IV 11 and cling:] which cling— ms1 1st reading ‖ and cling— ms1 alt and final reading ‖ and cling; Valerie’s Own Book (perhaps a colon smudged)
IV 12 gentle] ms1, 1917+ ‖ gentle, Blast, Others Anth, TSE’s emendation in Morley’s US 1920 (see McCue 2012, Proposal 18)
IV 13 ^ 14] no line space Blast
IV 14 Wipe] —Wipe ms1 laugh;] laugh. ms1
IV 16 lots.] lots ms1
after 16] ms1, line space and
—And we are moved into these strange opinions
By four-o’clock-in-the-morning thoughts.
Rhapsody on a Windy Night
Published Blast 2, July 1915, then 1917+. Repr., after publication of 1917, in Others Anthology (1917). Blast prints the poem as a single passage without line spaces or indents. It has opening quotation marks at the beginning of each quoted line (thirty-five lines in all); this succession ends at 76, but without closing quotation marks. Others Anth, which follows Blast except where noted, tidies this up by enclosing the final two lines within the quoted passage, providing closing quotation marks at the end.
ms1 (Berg): leaf of lightweight wove typing paper accompanying Notebook. Pencil. Very faint, especially as to punctuation. Re-examination has led to correction of some readings in March Hare. There are short pencil rules 12 ^ 13, 32 ^ 33, 45 ^ 46.
Title on] of Blast, AraVP contents page
1 o’clock.] o’clock ms1 ‖ o’clock, Blast
3 synthesis,] synthesis ms1, AraVP
4 Whispering] And all the ms1 1st reading incantations] incantations, TSE’s emendation in Morley’s US 1920
5 Dissolve] Disolve US 1920 (corrected by TSE in Morley’s US 1920) of memory] Others Anth, US 1920+ ‖ of the memory ms1, Blast, 1917, AraVP (see McCue 2012, Proposal 11)
6 relations,] relations ms1, US 1936, US 1952 ‖ relations. TSE’s emendation in Morley’s US 1920
[Poems I 16–20 · Commentary I 416–23]
7] —Its divisions, | Definite precisions (two lines) ms1 precisions.] 1963+ ‖ precisions ms1 ‖ precisions, printings prior to 1963 (see McCue 2012, Proposal 20)
9 drum,] drum ms1
11 Midnight] The nig ms1 1st reading ‖ The midnight March Hare (error in transcription of ms1 1st reading) the] my ms1 1st reading
11, 12 memory | As] marks resembling brackets added by TSE in Morley’s US 1920 perhaps to transpose lines: memory) | (As
13 as also 33, 46 Half-past] 1917+ ‖ Half past ms1, Blast
13 one,] one ms1 ‖ one. AraVP
14 as also 16 street-lamp] ms1, 1925+ ‖ street lamp printings prior to 1925 sputtered,] sputtered ms1
15] The street-lamp] 1925+ ‖ The " " (ditto marks) ms1 ‖ The street lamp printings prior to 1925 muttered,] muttered ms1
16 said,] said ms1 ‖ said: Others Anth Regard] regard ms1
17–22] opening quotation marks start each line ms1 (except 18 which is a later add.), Blast
17 toward] towards 1969 in the light of the door] on the corner ms1 1st reading
18] not ms1 1st reading grin.] grin ms1
19 border] corner ms1 1st reading
20 torn] torn, ms1 sand,] sand ms1
21 you see] not ms1 1st reading
22 ^ 23] line space ms1, 1917, AraVP, 1932+ ‖ no line space Blast ‖ new page so line spacing indeterminate US 1920, 1925
24 twisted] brackets added (for reconsideration) ms1 things;] things ms1
25 A] —A ms1
26 smooth,] smooth ms1, AraVP polished] polished, TSE’s emendation in Morley’s US 1920
28 skeleton,] skeleton ms1
29] not AraVP Stiff] Hard ms1 1st reading white.] white ms1
30 yard,] yard ms1, Blast
31 that] which ms1 strength] ms1 alt added, Blast+ ‖ force ms1 1st reading left] left, TSE’s emendation in Morley’s US 1920
32 snap.] snap ms1
33 two,] two ms1
34 The] A ms1 street-lamp] street lamp ms1, printings prior to US 1920 said,] said ms1 ‖ said: Others Anth
35 “Remark] Remark 1932 proof, with quotation mark added TSE which] ms1 1st and final reading, Blast+ ‖ that ms1 2nd reading itself] himself ms1 1st reading gutter,] gutter ms1
36 its] his ms1 1st reading
37 rancid] not ms1 1st reading butter.”] butter ms1
[Poem I 18–19 · Commentary I 419–21]
37 ^ 38] line space ms1
38 the child] US 1920+ ‖ a child ms1, Blast, 1917, AraVP automatic,] automatic ms1
39 was] ms1 1st reading unclear, perhaps he (March Hare) or I quay.] 1917+ ‖ quai ms1, Others Anth ‖ quai. Blast ‖ quay, 1969
40 that] the ms1, Others Anth child’s eye.] eye of t ms1 1st reading
42 shutters,] shutters ms1
43 pool,] pool ms1
44 An old crab] A crab green and ms1 1st reading barnacles] a barnacle ms1. back,] back ms1
45 Gripped] S ms1 1st reading (for “Seized”?) which I held him.] I held him ms1
46 three,] three ms1
47 lamp sputtered,] lamps sputtered ms1
48 dark.] dark ms1
48 ^ 49] line space 1917 (to avoid an ungainly line space after the first line on the following page), US 1920 ‖ no line space ms1, AraVP, 1925 (probably to avoid a short page), 1936+
49 The] A ms1 hummed:] hummed ms1
50 moon,] moon ms1
51 La] “La ms1 rancune,] rancune ms1
52 feeble] watery ms1 1st reading eye,] eye ms1
53 into corners.] from the corners of a face ms1 1st reading
54] not ms1 1st reading ‖ She touches the hair of the grass. ms1 2nd reading ‖ She smooths the hair of the grass. ms1 final reading smooths] ms1, Others Anth, US 1920+ ‖ smoothes Blast, 1917, AraVP
55] not ms1 1st reading ‖ The moon has lost her memory! ms1 2nd reading, with feeble above moon
56] Wrinkles the hideous scars of a washed-out pox with small above pox ms1 1st reading (with “hideous” doubtful) ‖ A washed out smallpox cracks her face ms1 2nd reading
57 rose,] ros
e ms1 ‖ rose; March Hare (error in transcription of ms1)
58 eau de Cologne,] 1925+ ‖ old cologne ms1 ‖ old cologne. Blast ‖ old Cologne, 1917, AraVP, US 1920 (see Commentary)
59 She is] All ms1
60] Oblivious of the sentiments ms1 1st reading ‖ Unconscious of remembered ms1 2nd reading ‖ With all the old nocturnal smells ms1 final reading. (This collation corrects March Hare.)
61 brain.”] 1925+ ‖ face ms1 1st reading ‖ brain ms1 2nd reading ‖ brain. printings prior to 1925 (with quotation consequently continuing to 68)
62 The] ms1 final reading+ ‖ Always the ms1 1st reading ‖ Still the ms1 2nd reading ‖ And still the ms1 3rd reading (TSE deleted the at the same time as Always but inadvertently?)
[Poem I 19–20 · Commentary I 421–23]
63 sunless] withered ms1 1st reading
64 crevices,] corners ms1 1st reading ‖ crevices ms1 2nd reading
65 chestnuts] del ms1 in] on ms1 streets,] streets ms1 ‖ street, Blast
66 shuttered] darkened ms1 1st reading rooms,] rooms ms1, Sel Poems 1954 (corrected long after)
67] cigarettes in] cigarette smoke bl ms1 1st reading (perhaps for “blue” or “blown”?) ‖ cigarette smoke of March Hare (error in transcription of ms1 1st reading)
68 bars.] bars … ms1 ‖ bars.” printings prior to 1925
69 lamp] last lamp ms1 said,] Blast, 1917, US 1920+ ‖ said ms1, AraVP ‖ said: Others Anth
70] Four o’clock ms1
71 the] your ms1 1st reading door.] door ms1
73 the] thè AraVP key,] key ms1, AraVP
74 little] not ms1 1st reading stair.] stair ms1 ‖ stair, printings prior to 1936 (see McCue 2012, Proposal 10)
76 open;] Blast, 1917, US 1920+ ‖ open ms1 ‖ open: AraVP tooth-brush] toothbrush ms1, Blast wall,] wall ms1
77 Put] “Put Others Anth your shoes at the door,] the toys in the drawer, ms1 1st reading. (This collation corrects March Hare.) life.”] life. Others Anth
78 The] —The ms1 ‖ “The Others Anth knife.] knife.” Others Anth
Morning at the Window
Published in Poetry Sept 1916, then 1917+.
ms1 (Berg): Notebook 51; black ink.
