# Is "The Compass Flower" by W.S. Merwin a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Compass Flower by W.S. Merwin (Atheneum, 1977) is identified by: First edition, Atheneum, 1977. US Atheneum paperback original; no separate cloth or hardcover issue was published.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, Atheneum, 1977
- Issued as a paperback original in illustrated wrappers (gray card wrappers with the flower device on the front, author photo by Thomas Victor on the rear)
- First printing carries the Atheneum 'First Edition' statement on the copyright page; later printings are so marked (e.g. 'Second Printing')
- Publisher imprint reads Atheneum
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | W.S. Merwin |
| Publisher | Atheneum |
| Year | 1977 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, Atheneum, 1977 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition, Atheneum, 1977. Issued as a paperback original in illustrated wrappers (gray card wrappers with the flower device on the front, author photo by Thomas Victor on the rear). First printing carries the Atheneum 'First Edition' statement on the copyright page; later printings are so marked (e.g. 'Second Printing').

## Is this the true first?
US Atheneum paperback original; no separate cloth or hardcover issue was published.

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Compass Flower* by W.S. Merwin a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-compass-flower
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.