Author's Presentation Copy to John Arlott
Two Minstrels
Elkin Matthews, 1921.
First edition. Original brown paper wrappers printed in black. Author's presentation copy, inscribed to the broadcaster and poet, John Arlott, on the half title, "For John Arlott [partially erased], with best wishes Herbert E. Palmer". Author's annotations to the half title, p.[7], 9, 13, 15. A very good copy with a little wear to the spine ends and the beginnings of splits to the joints, minor creasing to the oversized portions.
Palmer's annotations relate to the composition of the first poem in particular and its subsequent revisions. A note on the half title says, "See "Collected Poems" for a certain amount of revision to both poems." At the head of the first poem, The Wolf Knight, there is a note, "This poem was written long before the German Revolution, before the coming of the Nazis, before they so much as thought of the Swastika... [at the lower margin of the page] Conceived and written in the spring of 1920 much of it in a state of semi-trance which nearly ended my life. The poem is not entirely personal. It should carefully be interpreted as a series of prophesies about the coming of the Swastika, the disintegration of European culture, etc."
On p.9 his annotation likens the passage "the moon spread claws" to the Swastika. On p. 13 he underlines "spidery moon", noting "See marked stanza".
The 'marked stanza is on p.15 to which Palmer adds the note, "This stanza I unfortunately omitted from "Collected Poems". I now better understand it. The Moon of the East is manifestly the Swastika (an Eastern symbol), the Swastika fits into a circle, the talons are the claws of the Swastika - an octopus."
Stock ID: 46439
