# Is "A Witness Tree" by Robert Frost a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of A Witness Tree by Robert Frost (Henry Holt, 1942) is identified by: Won the 1943 Pulitzer Prize (Frost's fourth). The Henry Holt signed limited edition of 735 numbered copies precedes the trade edition; the US Holt issue is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Won the 1943 Pulitzer Prize (Frost's fourth)
- The signed limited edition of 735 numbered copies, printed at the Spiral Press and bound in green with the leaves untrimmed and issued in a green paper slipcase, precedes the trade edition
- The trade first printing carries the words 'FIRST PRINTING' on the copyright page; later printings substitute 'SECOND PRINTING' or a month-and-year date
- Publisher imprint reads Henry Holt
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Robert Frost |
| Publisher | Henry Holt |
| Year | 1942 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Poetry |
| Key point | Won the 1943 Pulitzer Prize (Frost's fourth) |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Won the 1943 Pulitzer Prize (Frost's fourth). The signed limited edition of 735 numbered copies, printed at the Spiral Press and bound in green with the leaves untrimmed and issued in a green paper slipcase, precedes the trade edition. The trade first printing carries the words 'FIRST PRINTING' on the copyright page; later printings substitute 'SECOND PRINTING' or a month-and-year date.

## Is this the true first?
The Henry Holt signed limited edition of 735 numbered copies precedes the trade edition; the US Holt issue is the true first. No UK edition precedes it.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No significant book club edition. Later printings are identified by the printing statement on the copyright page reading 'SECOND PRINTING' or a dated month-and-year line rather than 'FIRST PRINTING.'

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *A Witness Tree* by Robert Frost a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/a-witness-tree
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.