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Important Early Manuscript Poem by James Stephens With Critical
Manuscript Comments by George Bernard Shaw Manuscript: A folio
page containing a poem entitled ‘’The Earth Song’’ signed by James
Stephens. There are six verses, each of eight or nine lines. Written
across both sides of the sheet are comments, by George Bernard Shaw,
to whom Stephens had evidently sent the poem for his appraisal. Shaw’s
critique is fairly devastating: ‘’Unless you have an intensity of feeling that
transfigures everything for you and can express that feeling in lines that
have beauty, dignity, fascination, you cannot write poetry’’. However,
Shaw reassures Stephens that the prompt return of a short story he
had sent to an editor does not mean it is no good, and he criticises
the facetious tone of Stephens’s letter to the editor: ‘’Englishmen don’t
understand jokes in the wrong place - sometimes not even jokes in the
right place.’’ He urges Stephens to persist with his writing but warns him
not to be financially dependent on its success. Shaw’s remarks are signed
from Maybury Knoll, Woking, and dated 29 December 1902. Much
about Stephens’s early life is obscure, and at this period he was employed
in a series of poorly paid clerical jobs of short duration. His first known
literary contributions were made to the United Irishman in 1905, so this
early composition - with Shaw’s reaction to it - is specially significant
and unique. As a m/ss, w.a.f. (1)
Estimate €1750 - €2500
Large Image, More Info & Place Bid Lot 677