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

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Lice by W. S. Merwin (Atheneum, 1967) is identified by: Atheneum first edition with 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page. US true first; precedes the 1969 Rupert Hart-Davis UK edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Atheneum first edition with 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page
- Issued simultaneously in cloth (hardcover, dust jacket priced on the flap) and in paperbound wrappers; the cloth issue in jacket is the collected hardcover first
- A landmark of Merwin's open-form period
- Publisher imprint reads Atheneum
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | W. S. Merwin |
| Publisher | Atheneum |
| Year | 1967 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Poetry |
| Key point | Atheneum first edition with 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Atheneum first edition with 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page. Issued simultaneously in cloth (hardcover, dust jacket priced on the flap) and in paperbound wrappers; the cloth issue in jacket is the collected hardcover first. A landmark of Merwin's open-form period.

## Is this the true first?
US true first; precedes the 1969 Rupert Hart-Davis UK edition. One of the most collected Merwin titles.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition. Later Atheneum printings drop the 'First Edition' statement.

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