The points of issue
Edited by Ted Hughes; won the 1982 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry (awarded posthumously). The US Harper & Row first printing (1981) states FIRST EDITION on the copyright page, accompanied by a complete descending number line. The concurrent UK Faber edition is also 1981.
Is this the true first?
The US Harper & Row issue (1981) is taken as the first; the UK Faber edition is concurrent in the same year.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club issue of note; later printings drop FIRST EDITION and advance the number line.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Collected Poems a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Edited by Ted Hughes; won the 1982 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry (awarded posthumously). The US Harper & Row first printing (1981) states FIRST EDITION on the copyright page, accompanied by a complete descending number line. The concurrent UK Faber edition is also 1981.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. The US Harper & Row issue (1981) is taken as the first; the UK Faber edition is concurrent in the same year.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book club issue of note; later printings drop FIRST EDITION and advance the number line.
I have a first edition of The Collected Poems — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.