A collection of 74 manuscript poems on 77 sheets, which includes different versions of the same poems in several cases. They include 29 of the 31 poems in Cornford's first collection, Poems (1910), many in multiple states of development, as well as 21 uncollected poems, all apparently unpublished except "The Dance of Death", which appeared in Country Life. Written in pencil or ink, variously dated 1902-09 or undated and on various sheet sizes and paper stocks: mounted on stubs or in pairs onto larger sheets. The whole bound in brown buckram with a morocco title label by Maltby of Oxford and housed in a later quarter morocco clamshell box. With six autograph letters and three autograph cards from Cornford to Seigfried Sassoon. Generally in very good condition with two sheets with repaired tears.

An extraordinary, comprehensive collection of early manuscript poems charting Frances Cornford's development as a poet towards the production of her first major collection, Poems (1910).
The manuscripts divide themselves naturally into four sections. The first section comprises seventeen poems written on nineteen pages of octavo note paper, plus a single leaf with the presentation inscription "W.R. from FCD June 11th 1908", mounted onto pages, two to a page. Many are written in pencil and appear mostly fair copies.
The second section consists of fourteen poems on thirteen pages of varying sizes and paper stocks all mounted onto stubs for binding, written mostly in ink. Many of the pages show signs of folding and appear to be working drafts with several emendations. This section includes a transcription of Fredegond Shove's poem, The New Ghost.
The third section is much like the second but for being written on fourteen sheets of uniform quarto laid paper. It comprises of rewritten poems from the first section with a number of unpublished poems.
The fourth section forms 28 poems on 29 quarto pages, written entirely in pen, but with pencil annotation for production. This section is essentially the production manuscript for the 1910 Poems. Fifteen poems are rewritten from versions in the earlier sections and the remainder are new. All but two of the poems in this section were published in Poems and each has the date of composition on it.
Where poems appear several times there are usually textual differences between the versions. One of Cornford's most celebrated poems, Youth, written for Rupert Brooke, begins life with the title 'On R.B.' with the second line as, "Striding ahead to meet joint the strife", in the revised version it is title 'An Epigram' and the second line reads, "Stands dreaming on the verge of Strife,". Cornford's other much anthologised poem, 'To a Fat Lady Seen from a Train', also appears twice with minor alterations.
The influence of William Rothenstein on Cornford's career as a poet cannot be overstated. He had painted the portrait of Cornford's father Sir Francis Darwin in 1903 and had become a family friend. Rothernstein recalls his interaction with the young Frances in his autobiography,
"Frances was a sort of pupil of mine... She both drew and wrote poems with a simple sincerity, and was wise beyond her years. So often I stayed with the Darwins I got to know Cambridge as well, almost as I already knew Oxford... Frances used to send me her poems, for which I cared deeply, and believing that others would care as much, I urged that they must at all cost be printed. 'At all costs' was not a formidable phrase I assured Frank Darwin; there was a bookseller at Hampstead who was ready to print an edition for £30. So the poems duly appeared, to Darwin's delight. The little book was to become a rarity, it contained more than one poem which later appeared in most of the anthologies, the best known among them being 'Oh why do you walk through the fields in gloves?'"
Rothenstein was not only Cornford's earliest patron, but used his Hampstead literary connections to arrange the publishing of her first major collection of poetry in 1910. Cornford presented a copy to Rothenstein describing him as "the fairy godfather of the book". Whilst Cornford sent her drafts and fair copies to Rothenstein, it becomes clear that she had no notion that he had kept and preserved them in this way. This becomes apparent to her through her correspondence with Siegfried Sassoon, who had acquired the collection following Rothenstein's death in 1945. In a letter of 9 August 1954, she writes, "how touched + proud I am that you've acquired my bound MS - which of course I never knew existed - I am sure it contains lots of ghastly Edwardian youthfulness - which would make me blush painfully - So don't bring it in October - But I'd like you to have it all, just as it is, and I think it is sweet of you to care to have it, + to tell me so."
The remaining correspondence with Sassoon includes one letter from 1931, but is concentrated around the period from 1954 to 1960, and shows an increasing warmth and lively discussion of current literary matters.

PROVENANCE: William Rothenstein (1872-1945, artist and writer, presentation inscription from Cornford on first mounted sheet and a note by Rothenstein to the fort endpaper, "Various versions of her poemes given to me by Frances before + after she was married to Francis", presumably bound up by Rothenstein); Siegfried Sassoon (presuambly acquired from Rothenstein's estate before 1954, letter from Cornford to Sassoon refering to his possession of her manuscripts); Private collection.

Stock ID: 45951