# Is "A Masque of Reason" by Robert Frost a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of A Masque of Reason by Robert Frost (Henry Holt, 1945) is identified by: Issued as a trade first edition and as a signed limited of 800 numbered copies, signed by Frost, printed at the Spiral Press. US Holt, 1945.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Issued as a trade first edition and as a signed limited of 800 numbered copies, signed by Frost, printed at the Spiral Press
- Trade first printing carries no later-printing notice; dark blue cloth, gilt spine lettering, illustrated dust jacket
- Publisher imprint reads Henry Holt
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Robert Frost |
| Publisher | Henry Holt |
| Year | 1945 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Issued as a trade first edition and as a signed limited of 800 numbered copies, signed by… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Issued as a trade first edition and as a signed limited of 800 numbered copies, signed by Frost, printed at the Spiral Press. Trade first printing carries no later-printing notice; dark blue cloth, gilt spine lettering, illustrated dust jacket.

## Is this the true first?
US Holt, 1945. The 800-copy signed limited is the premium. Frost's verse play framed as a final chapter to the Book of Job, issued for his 70th birthday.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club issue.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *A Masque of Reason* by Robert Frost a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/a-masque-of-reason
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.