Maggs Bros.

An unusually nice copy of what was Yeats’ last collection of poetry purely invested in the aesthetics of the Celtic Twilight. Preoccupied as the verse is with Irish folklore, the second half of this book is comprised of extensive explanatory essays by Yeats on the subject. The cover design by fellow poet and mystic Althea Gyles is exemplary, both evoking the imagery of the poems inside and prefiguring later Art Deco visual design. Holding together the verse of the Irish Revival and the iconography of the century-to-come as it does, this book in its very form is emblematic of a pivotal moment in Yeats’ career, beyond which he would grow into the more actively political, modernist poet he is known as today.

Only minimal rubbing to gilt design, trivial wear to tips of spine and corners. Without the correction slip that appears in later printings, indecipherable ownership inscription on flyleaf, dated ’17 apr. ‘99’. A near fine copy.