# Is "Promises: Poems 1954-1956" by Robert Penn Warren a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Promises: Poems 1954-1956 by Robert Penn Warren (Random House, 1957) is identified by: Won the 1958 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry and the 1958 National Book Award. US Random House (1957) is the true first; the UK Eyre & Spottiswoode edition is the first English printing and follows the American.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Won the 1958 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry and the 1958 National Book Award
- First printing: Random House, New York, 1957, identified by 'First Printing' stated on the copyright page (Random House practice of the period), in dust jacket
- Publisher imprint reads Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Robert Penn Warren |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 1957 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Poetry |
| Key point | Won the 1958 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry and the 1958 National Book Award |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Won the 1958 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry and the 1958 National Book Award. First printing: Random House, New York, 1957, identified by 'First Printing' stated on the copyright page (Random House practice of the period), in dust jacket.

## Is this the true first?
US Random House (1957) is the true first; the UK Eyre & Spottiswoode edition is the first English printing and follows the American.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club issue. The first printing carries the 'First Printing' statement on the copyright page; later printings drop or alter it.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Promises: Poems 1954-1956* by Robert Penn Warren a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/promises-poems-1954-1956
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.