# Is "Phaedra" by Robert Lowell a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Phaedra by Robert Lowell (Farrar, Straus & Cudahy, 1961) is identified by: Lowell's verse translation of Racine's Phedre. US Farrar, Straus & Cudahy edition of 1961; the Faber UK edition followed in 1963.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Lowell's verse translation of Racine's Phedre
- First edition, Farrar, Straus & Cudahy, 1961, in cloth with dust jacket; drawings by Frank Parker
- First printing per the imprint's convention (no later printing statement)
- Publisher imprint reads Farrar, Straus & Cudahy
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Robert Lowell |
| Publisher | Farrar, Straus & Cudahy |
| Year | 1961 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Lowell's verse translation of Racine's Phedre |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Lowell's verse translation of Racine's Phedre. First edition, Farrar, Straus & Cudahy, 1961, in cloth with dust jacket; drawings by Frank Parker. First printing per the imprint's convention (no later printing statement).

## Is this the true first?
US Farrar, Straus & Cudahy edition of 1961; the Faber UK edition followed in 1963.

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Phaedra* by Robert Lowell a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/phaedra
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.