Ceremony and Other Poems

ma164 Richard P. Wilbur (AC 1942) Papers Finding Aid Finding aid prepared by J. Richard Phillips. Amherst College Archives and Special Collections

Amherst, MA

Finding aid encoded in NoteTab Pro. Encoded by Peter A. Nelson, Assistant Archivist. 2007-06-19 Finding aid written in English 2005-09-23 ma164 converted from EAD 1.0 to 2002 by v1to02-5c.xsl (sy2003-10-15). Amherst College Archives and Special Collections Richard P. Wilbur (AC 1942) Papers Finding Aid Processed: 1969 Finding Aid: 1970 April Prepared by: J. Richard Phillips Revised 2004; 2005, 2007, 2008 Revised by: Peter A. Nelson, Assistant Archivist

Collection Overview Wilbur, Richard, 1921- Richard P. Wilbur (AC 1942) Papers ca. 1945-2005 4 archives boxes (2 linear ft.) Amherst College Archives and Special Collections Worksheets, notes, typescripts, and galley proofs for published poems (sometimes together with associated correspondence), poetry translations and prose pieces by Richard Wilbur. English. Biographical Note

Poet, translator and critic Richard Purdy Wilbur was born in New York City in 1921. He graduated from Amherst College in 1942 and has taught English at Harvard and Wesleyan Universities and Wellesley and Smith Colleges. He has been awarded a number of honors for his poetry, including the National Book Award, the Pulitzer Prize (twice), the Wallace Stevens Award, the Aiken Taylor Award for Modern American Poetry, the Frost Medal, the Gold Medal for Poetry from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Bollingen Prize, the T. S. Eliot Award, a Ford Foundation Award, two Guggenheim Fellowships, the Edna St. Vincent Millay Memorial Award, the Oscar Blumenthal Prize for Poetry, the Harriet Monroe Poetry Award, the National Arts Club medal of honor for literature, two PEN translation awards, the Prix de Rome Fellowship, and the Shelley Memorial Award. He was elected a chevalier of the Ordre des Palmes Académiques and is a Chancellor Emeritus of The Academy of American Poets.

In addition to poetry, he has also published numerous translations of plays by Molière and Racine, contributed the lyrics for Leonard Bernstein's musical Candide, written several books for children, and produced two collections of critical writing. In 1987-1988 Richard Wilbur served as Poet Laureate of the United States; the following year he was the Robert Frost Library Fellow at Amherst College, where he has spoken and read his work on numerous occasions.

Scope and Contents of the Collection

Worksheets, notes, typescripts, and galley proofs for published poems (sometimes together with associated correspondence), poetry translations and prose pieces by Richard Wilbur.

Organization of the Collection

This collection is organized into six series:

Poetry Translations and Adaptations Prose Lectures and Speeches Correspondence Miscellaneous Information on Use Terms of Access and Use

There is no restriction on access to the collection for research use. Particularly fragile items may be restricted for preservation purposes.

Requests for permission to publish material from the collection should be directed to the Archives and Special Collections. It is the responsibility of the researcher to identify and satisfy the holders of all copyrights.

Preferred Citation

Please use the following format when citing materials from this collection:

[Identification of item], in Richard P. Wilbur Papers [Box #, Folder #], Amherst College Archives and Special Collections, Amherst College Library.

History of the Collection

Gift of Richard P. Wilbur, ca. 1969.

Search Terms Wilbur, Richard, 1921- Translators -- United States| -- Sources. Poets, American -- 20th century -- Sources. Amherst College. Class of 1942. Wilbur. Additional Information Series 1: POETRY

Series 1, POETRY, is further organized into two sub-series: A. Published Volumes, ca. 1950-1969, includes materials used in the preparation of the following volumes of Wilbur's poetry: Ceremony and Other Poems (1950); Things of This World (1956); Advice to a Prophet (1961); and Walking to Sleep (1969). Arranged chronologically. B. Individual Poems, includes early worksheets and drafts of individual poems, including some translations. (Other translations are found in Series 2.) Arranged alphabetically by title.

Subseries A: Published Volumes 1 1 Ceremony and Other Poems - worksheets and typescripts for material eliminated from publishing the volume ca. 1950 1 2 Ceremony and Other Poems - worksheets and typescripts ca. 1950 1 3 Ceremony and Other Poems - worksheets and typescripts ca. 1950 1 4 Ceremony and Other Poems - galley proofs ca. 1950 1 5 Things of This World - typescript, setting copy ca. 1956 1 6 Advice to a Prophet - Worksheets and typescripts ca. 1959 1 7 Advice to a Prophet - galley and page proofs ca. 1959 1 8 Walking to Sleep - worksheets and typescripts ca. 1968 1 9 Walking to Sleep - proofs of front matter, dust jacket, and brochure ca. 1968 1 10 Walking to Sleep - proofs of text ca. 1968 1 10a Correspondence (2 letters from Wilbur, 1 from John Ciardi about Untermeyer's review of Walking to Sleep) 1969 Apr 1 10b Pedestrian Flight - typescripts, galley, and page proofs) ca. 1979-1981 1 10c Pedestrian Flight - correspondence with Stuart Wright, palaemon Press) ca. 1979-1981 Subseries B: Individual Poems 1 11 Advice from the Muse 1 11a Advice to a Prophet 1 12 After the Last Bulletins 1 13 The Agent 1 14 Another Voice 1 15 The Aspen and the Stream 1 16 Ballade for the Duke of Orleans 1 17 Baroque Wall-fountain (no text, only Wilbur's commentary) 1 18 The Beacon

BeastsSee: "Looking Into History"

1 18a A Black Birch in Winter (fair copy mailed to WGBY-TV for its fundraising auction; includes ALS and env.) 1974 Apr 1 19 A Black November Turkey 1 20 A Christmas Hymn 1 21 A Chronic Condition 1 22 Complaint 1 23 Digging for China 1 24 Driftwood 1 25 Easter Sun ("Parable" was salvaged from this poem) 1 26 Exeunt (also published as "Exodus"), with drafts - Exodus - see "Exeunt" 1 27 Fall in Corrales (see also "Speech for the repeal of the McCarran Act") 1 28 Ferns in Hampshire County 1 29 A fire truck 1 30 For Kathleen Raine on her sixtieth birthday 1 31 From the lookout rock 1 32 Gemini

Giraffe - see "Exeunt"

1 32a Gnomons 1 33 The good servant 1 34 A grasshopper 1 35 He was 2 1 Hole in the floor 2 1a Icarium Mare 2 2 In a churchyard 2 3 In the elegy season 2 4 In the smoking car 2 5 John Chrysostom 2 6 Junk 2 7 Lamarck elaborated (with initial notes for "Mind") 2 8 A late aubade (includes 1968 Christmas card) 2 9 The lilacs (includes proofs of "The proof" and "Seed leaves" 2 10 Looking into history (includes initial notes for "Beasts," "A voice from under the table," and some unwritten poems) 2 11 Love calls us to the things of this world 2 12 Loves of the puppets 2 13 Matthew VIII, 28ff 2 14 The mechanist 2 15 Merlin enthralled 2 16 The mill (see also "Speech for repeal of the McCarran Act") 2 17 A Miltonic sonnet for Mr. Johnson, on the occasion of his refusal of Peter Hurd's official portrait 2 18 Mind (see also "Lamarck elaborated") 2 19 Next door 2 20 October maples, Portland 2 21 On the marginal way - Parable - see "Easter sun" - Piazza di Spagna - see Molière: Misanthrope - worksheets 2 22 A plain song for comadre 2 23 A postcard for Bob Bly 2 24 The proof (includes page proof for Christmas card) See also: "The lilacs" 2 24a The Ride 2 25 Rillons, rillettes 2 26 Running 2 27 Seed leaves See also: "The lilacs" 2 27a Shad-time 2 28 Shame 2 29 She 2 30 Someone talking to himself 2 31 Speech for the repeal of the McCarran Act (also notes on "The Mill," and "Fall in Corrales") 2 32 Stop 2 33 A summer morning 2 34 The terrace 2 35 To Ishtar 2 36 Two quatrains for first frost 2 37 The undead 2 38 Under Cygnus (includes Christmas card with personal, handwritten note from Mrs. Wilbur) 2 39 A voice from under the table See also: "Looking into history" 2 40 Walking to sleep 2 40a A Wall in the Woods: Cummington (TS with corrected photocopy) 2 41 A wood 2 42 Ahkmatova, Anna 2 43 Aretino, Pietro 2 44 Baudelaire, Charles Pierre 2 45 Char, René 2 46 Du Bellay, Joachim 2 47 Guillen, Jorge 2 48 James, Francis 2 49 La Fontaine, Jean de 2 50 Orléans, Charles, duc d' 2 51 Pichette, Henri 2 52 Quasimodo, Salvatore 2 53 Valéry, Paul 2 54 Voznesensky, Andrei Series 2: TRANSLATIONS AND ADAPTATIONS

Series 2, TRANSLATIONS AND ADAPTATIONS, is further organized into two sub-series: A. Translations of Individual Poems, arranged alphabetically by poet. B. Other Translations, namely of works by Molière and Renard.

3 1 Molière and Hofmannsthal: The bourgeois gentleman - narration to accompany the Boston Symphony performance of the Burger als Edelman by Richard Strauss 3 2 Renard, Jules: A romance - corrected typescript 3 3 Misanthrope - worksheets, mostly act V (also includes first draft of "Piazza di Spagna") 3 4 Misanthrope - typescript, setting copy 3 5 Tartuffe - worksheets, typescrpt, and proofs of introduction and front matter. 3 5a Tartuffe - Typescript (carbon) 3 6 Tartuffe - worksheets for act II 3 7 Tartuffe - typescript, setting copy 3 8 Tartuffe - galley proofs 3 9 Tartuffe - worksheet of curtain verses written for opening night 3 10 Tartuffe - additional lines for Lincoln Center performance 3 11 Tartuffe - notes and drafts for article on the Lincoln Center performance 3 11a Tartuffe - "Instructions to the director of Tartuffe" (TS, 1 p.), contrasting with the Lincoln Center performance ca. 1967-1969 3 12 The Misanthrope and Tartuffe - (Harvest Book edition) - worksheets and draft of note to the Harvest edition 3 13 The Misanthrope and Tartuffe - (Harvest Book edition) - proofs of front matter and Tartuffe Series 3: PROSE

Series 3, PROSE, includes essays, reviews, memorial notes, appreciations, etc., organized alphabetically by title or subject.

3 14 American Academy of Arts and Letters and National Institute of Arts and Letters, Proceedings of - corrected ms. of article, with accompanying TLS to Margaret Mills 1972 Apr-Sep 3 15 Arvin, Newton: Longfellow - worksheets for a review 3 16 "Blurbs" written by RW - list prepared by RW together with a proof of covers for R. Pau-Llosa's book Sorting Metaphors1983 3 17 Essay on Milton's companion poems - worksheets, typescript, and proof 3 18 Essay on Poetry - manuscript draft 3 19 Frost, Robert - In the Clearing - drafts and typescript of review 3 20 Frost, Robert - Contribution to Robert Frost Commemorative Issue of the Amherst Student - worksheet and typescript 3 21 Hillyer, Robert - draft of a memorial note 3 21a Loudmouse: story outline, manuscript, and typescript; letter to Louis Untermeyer 1962 Jun 11 3 21b Loudmouse: galleys for a new edition 3 22 Lowell, Robert: "Skunk hour" - manuscript of commentary 3 23 The 1964 International Writers' Seminar at Lahti - notes, manuscript, and typescript of an article 3 24 The Poe mystery case - manuscript and typescript 3 25 A Poet and the movies - worksheets and typescript 3 26 Shakespeare's poems - all matter for an introduction Series 4: LECTURES AND SPEECHES

Series 4, LECTURES AND SPEECHES, includes texts prepared by Wilbur for occasions of public speaking, including introductions of other speakers.

4 1 American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters - Remarks by the Chancellor (i.e., RW)1977 May 18 4 1a Bishop, Elizabeth - draft and text of introduction to her poetry reading 4 2 Films - manuscript and typescript of a panel talk on experimental films 4 3 Frost, Robert - introduction to his talk 4 4 Frost Library, Amherst College - manuscript and typescript of talk at dedication 4 5 The house of Poe - manuscript of lecture 4 6 Lawrence College - manuscript, typescript, and printed copy of commencement address 4 7 Miller, Henry: Tropic of Cancer - draft of defense testimony 4 8 Nash, Ogden - introduction to his lecture 4 9 National book award acceptance speech - drafts and final text 4 10 On my own work - notes, manuscript, and typescript plus corrected proofs for publication 4 11 Poetry and happiness - manuscript of lecture 4 12 The present state of Whitman - notes, manuscript and typescript of talk 4 13 Roethke, Theodore - Manuscript and typescript of talk 4 14 Round about a poem of Housman's - notes, outline, manuscript, and partial typescript of lecture 4 15 A tribute to Andrei Voznesensky - prefatory remarks 4 16 Washington University - notes and typescript of commencement address 4 17 Wilbur bibliography - manuscript and carbon of introductory note Series 5: CORRESPONDENCE

Series 5 is correspondence arranged alphabetically by correspondent name.

4 18 Baird, Theodore [ca. 1942]-1983 4 19 Berg, Steve (American Poetry Review), with TS of the poem "About Lying" 1982-1983 4 20 Brower, Reuben 1953 Feb 18 4 21 Catoggio, Nicholas (The Amherst Student) 1994 Nov 8 4 22 Clarke, Henry L. 1979-1984 4 23 Cole, William 1993 May 24 4 24 Cooper, Mr. [?] 1977 Jan 13 4 25 Craig, Armour 1943-1946 4 26 Gauthier, Mr. [?] 1998 Feb 20 4 27 Glick, G. Wayne (6 letters + replies) 1998-2005 4 28 Hagstrom, Jack W. C. - explaining a cartoon by RW that appeared in The Montclair Times, ca. 1936 1981 Aug 4 29 Lancaster, John 1987-2003 4 30 Law, Mark (Kolbourne School) 1982 Feb 18 4 31 Leekley, Richard 1968-1973 4 32 Little, John 1972 Mar 14 4 33 Murdoch, Eleanor 1960 Feb 29 4 34 Pringle, Roger (Shakespeare Birthplace Trust) 1977 Mar 28 4 35 Targ, [William] 1971 4 36 Toerien, Barend J. (translator of Wilbur poems into Afrikaans) 1962 4 37 Untermeyer, Louis - concerning an anthology, Modern American and Modern British Poetry, Shorter Revised Edition (1955), on which Wilbur and Karl Shapiro served as editorial "consultants" with Untermeyer 1954-1955 4 38 Wright, Stuart (Palaemon Press) 1980-1985 Series 6: MISCELLANEOUS

Series 6, MISCELLANEOUS, includes light verse, an answer to a questionnaire, a statement of political activities.

4 39 Light verse on a frog 1968 Feb 12 4 40 Answer to questionnaire published in DELOS 1968 Jan-Feb 4 41 Political activities 1967-1968 4 42 Three drawings by Wilbur - caricatures of T. W. White IV, Prof. Oscar Schotté, and Prof. Laurence Packard (Gift of Thomas H. White AC 1941) ca. 1940-1941 4 43 Biographical chronology of RW - photocopy with manuscript corrections by RW [1984]