# Is "Green with Beasts" by W.S. Merwin a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Green with Beasts by W.S. Merwin (Alfred A. Knopf, 1956) is identified by: Merwin's third poetry collection, issued in 1956 in two separate first editions the same year: Alfred A. Both the US Knopf and UK Hart-Davis editions appeared in 1956 and precedence between them is not firmly established; some bibliographic listings place Knopf (New York) first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Merwin's third poetry collection, issued in 1956 in two separate first editions the same year: Alfred A. Knopf in New York and Rupert Hart-Davis in London
- The London Hart-Davis edition was a Poetry Book Society Choice and came with a yellow Poetry Book Society wrap-around band; it was printed by the Ditchling Press, Sussex
- Each edition is the first printing of its own imprint, identified by the 1956 date with no later-printing statement
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | W.S. Merwin |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1956 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Merwin's third poetry collection, issued in 1956 in two separate first editions the same… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Merwin's third poetry collection, issued in 1956 in two separate first editions the same year: Alfred A. Knopf in New York and Rupert Hart-Davis in London. The London Hart-Davis edition was a Poetry Book Society Choice and came with a yellow Poetry Book Society wrap-around band; it was printed by the Ditchling Press, Sussex. Each edition is the first printing of its own imprint, identified by the 1956 date with no later-printing statement.

## Is this the true first?
Both the US Knopf and UK Hart-Davis editions appeared in 1956 and precedence between them is not firmly established; some bibliographic listings place Knopf (New York) first. This should be treated as two same-year firsts rather than a settled UK-first. Collect whichever imprint you have as a 1956 first edition.

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Green with Beasts* by W.S. Merwin a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/green-with-beasts
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.