Poems in the collection from autograph to galley proof stage.
Contents:
I. Texts of poems included in the collection. Original texts included in the abortive collection are at Add MS 88936/1/11.
1. 'The armoured valley', also here entitled 'When birds do sing'; [1941]. First published in Penguin New Writing, no. 8 (July 1941), and also in Poems. Typewritten with galley proof.
2. 'Guest of honour' and 'Milkmaid'; 1943, 1944. First published in Penguin new writing, no. 18 (Jan. 1944). 'Milkmaid' was also published in Poems and Selected poems. Typewritten with galley proof and accompanying letters.
3. 'The larch tree', here untitled; [1941]. First published in Folios of New Writing, no. 3 (Spring 1941). Typewritten.
4. 'A Moment of war'; 1985. First published in Horizon, vol. 1, no. 4 (Apr. 1940). Later printed cutting from Daily Mirror, 26 Mar. 1985.
5. 'Multitudinous lamp'; n.d. Typewritten.
6. 'Port of Famagusta'; [1939]. First published in Poets of Tomorrow, no. 3 (1942). Typewritten.
7. 'The return' and 'November'; 1941. Typewritten. First published, as 'Two poems' in Penguin New Writing, no. 13 (June 1942).
8. 'River', or 'Summer the river' here untitled; [1944]. 'Summer the river' was taken out and 'River' inserted at proof stages in The Sun my monument. First published in The Listener, 10 June 1944. Autograph and typewritten.
9. 'Snow in the morning', here entitled 'Eyelids and transgressions'; [1942]. Typewritten. First published in Poets of Tomorrow, no. 3 (1942).
10. 'Stones and scorpions', here untitled; [1942]. Typewritten. First published in Poets of Tomorrow, no. 3 (1942).
11. 'Summer the river', here untitled; n.d. Typewritten, with autograph additions.
12. 'Three poems', i.e. 'The long war', 'Time of anxiety' and 'Asleep we are divided'; [1942]. Typewritten and two marked sets of galley proofs for New Writing and Daylight, no. 2 (Winter 1942-3). 'The long war' was also published in Poems and Selected poems.
13. 'Village of winter carols'; [1941]. First published as 'Poem' in Penguin New Writing, no. 10 (Nov. 1941) and in Poets of Tomorrow, no. 3 (1942). Also published in Poems and Selected poems.
14. 'Words asleep'; 1948. Printed cutting from The New Yorker, 21 Aug. 1948, of the poem, here entitled 'Asleep'. First published in Horizon, vol.1, no. 5 (May 1940).
II. Manuscript of the title-page and possible proposed illustrated jacket, on which the work is entitled 'Poems'; typewritten texts of the poems included in the volume; a printed prospectus from the Hogarth Press for Spring 1944 announcing the work; 1944.
III. Two sets of galley proofs with amendments, including the change of title from 'Poems' to 'The Sun my monument', the substitution of 'Summer the river' by 'Equinox' (which was first published in Horizon, vol. 8, no. 48 (Dec. 1943) and the deletion of dates from the ends of some of the poems; 1944.