The Clouds.: Aigeltinger, Russia, &c.

[Aurora, New York:] The Wells College Press and The Cummington Press,, 1948. Whatever distinction I succeeded in getting is witnessed by the poems included in The Clouds First edition, sole impression, number 235 of 310 copies, this copy signed by the author on the front free endpaper. The limitation states that the first 60 copies were signed. In his autobiography Williams remarks: "I was in my stride now. I thought I had found my form. I said what I had to say, using the American idiom; I felt free with it. The rhythmical construction of a poem was determined for me by the language as it is spoken. Word of mouth language, not classical English. That feeling of the language was the fountainhead of what I wanted to do. If I could make that distinguished I would have accomplished my purpose. Whatever distinction I succeeded in getting is witnessed by the poems included in The Clouds" (p. 74ff). Octavo. Original greenish-grey cloth, title label on spine lettered in black, fore and lower edges untrimmed. Spine toned, extremities a little rubbed, light foxing to endpapers, a few marks to rear cover. A very good copy indeed, square and firm. William Carlos Williams, I Wanted to Write a Poem, 1978.