THE DANCING BEARS

First edition, first printing. Original pictorial boards with titles in white to the spine and upper board, in the Norman Gorbaty designed dustwrapper. An excellent near fine copy, the binding firm, the spine tips and corners ever so slightly rubbed. The contents, with a neat gift inscription to the front free endpaper and the initials of the recipient in the top corner the half title are otherwise clean throughout. The closed text block edge is a little dusty with a couple of foxing spots. Complete with the lightly rubbed dustwrapper that is faded to the spine and otherwise bright and without loss or tears. Not price-clipped ($2.75 to the upper front front flap).

W. S. Merwin's second book of poetry in what would become and oeuvre of over 50 books. Merwin received the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry twice, the National Book Award for Poetry, and the Academy of American Pooets' Tanning Prize, among many other awards. In 2010 he became the 17th United States Poet Laureate. Nature and mythological themes were central to the his early poetry, while his later work showed the influence of his investment in the anti-war movement, environmentalism and Zen Buddhism.