WILLIAM ROSE BENET - AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED 12/28/1932 - HFSID 288162

WILLIAM ROSE BENET
Letter to fellow poet Louise Bogan while preparing a major poetry anthology
Typed Letter signed: 'William Rose Benet", 1 page, 8½x11. New York, N.Y., 1932 December 28. On letterhead of the Saturday Review to "Dear Miss Bogan". In full: "The attached is self-explanatory. Please help me out, as I wish the book to be truly representative. The returns are already coming in. Wishing you a Happy New Year!  William Rose Benet (1886-1950), the brother of poet Stephen Vincent Benet (1898-1943) and husband of poet and novelist Elinor Wylie (1885-1928), founded the "Saturday Review of Literature" (1924), editing it until his death. He was also an accomplished poet, winning the Pulitzer Prize in Poetry (1942) for "The Dust Which is God." When he signed this letter, Benet was editing Fifty Poets: an American Auto-Anthology (1933). Benet asked the persons he considered America's fifty greatest living poets to select one short poem each for inclusion in this collection. They were instructed to choose a personal favorite which they would wish remembered by posterity. Each poet was also asked to provide a comment about the poem, for inclusion in the book. The recipient of this letter was certainly Louise Bogan (1897-1970), who complied by contributing her poem "The Mark", with comment. Benet's own introduction to the poem called Bogan's poetry "metaphysical and precise", possessing a "lyrical intellectuality". (Eschewing false modesty, Benet included himself and his brother Stephen in the anthology.) Multiple mailing folds. Lightly toned around edges. Edges and corners creased and lightly worn. Top right corner torn. Notches at center top and bottom edges. Otherwise, fine condition.