Cultured Oyster Books

penetrating paragraph on the definition of parody: “Parody is difficult to accomplish well.
There has to be a subtle balance between close resemblance to the ‘original’ and a deliberate
distortion of its principal characteristics. It is, therefore, a minor form of literary art which is likely
to be successful only in the hands of writers who are original and creative themselves. In fact, the
majority of the best parodies are the work of gifted writers.” Eudora Welty’s poem is a
wonderful example of this “minor form of literary art” and, to our best knowledge,
previously unknown. $2,850.00
98. Whitman, Walt. FEUILLES D’HERBE. Traduction intégrale d’après l’edition
définitive par Léon Bazalgette avec deux portraits de l’auteur. Paris: Mercure de France,
1909. Volume I (of 2) only. This copy has an inscription, in English, from the translator
to Henry Bryan Binns, “in true comradeship.” An interesting association copy, as Binns
was the author of A Life of Walt Whitman, published in England in 1905. Very good in
printed yellow wrappers, with light foxing throughout. The text is largely unopened.
The familiar Samuel Hollyer portrait of the young Walt Whitman in vol. I, complete with
tissue guard, is opposite page 48 which here is the beginning of Chant de moi-mème. The
first French translation of the complete Leaves of Grass. $250.00
99. [Yeats, W. B] Ganconagh. JOHN SHERMAN AND DHOYA. London: T. Fisher
Unwin, 1892. Published as No. 10 in the Pseudonym Library series. The third edition, as
printed on the title page. This copy has an inscription from Elizabeth Corbet Yeats on the
front free endpaper: E. H. Maclean / from / The Author’s sister. / Feb 1895. Also, W. B.
Yeats is written out on the title page to the right of “Goncanagh,” presumably by ECY.
Very good only, in darkened cloth with heavy spotting on the front panel and foxing on
the front and rear endpapers. The original edition was published in 1891. Wade states
that there was a second edition, issued also in 1891, and a third edition, “advertised” in
1894. An early title seldom found with an explicit Yeats association. [Wade 4] $200.00
100. Yeats, W. B. THE COLLECTED POEMS. New York: The Macmillan Company,
1933. Very fine in dark blue cloth with a design by Charles Ricketts blind stamped on
the front cover and brilliant gilt lettering between horizontal stripes on the spine. The
text is clear and unmarked. The dust jacket with its art deco lettering and design is quite
striking and unusual for a book by Yeats, with both front and rear panels free of chips or
tears, but with a slightly sunned spine that has shallow chipping at the top not affecting
any text. There is a frontispiece portrait of Yeats taken from a 1907 Augustus John