The points of issue
Won the 1981 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. First printing: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, New York, 1980, identified by the publisher's number line on the copyright page (a complete descending line including 1 indicates the first printing). Issued in black cloth and blue paper-covered boards with dust jacket.
Is this the true first?
US FSG (1980) is the true first edition.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition. The first printing is shown by the number line; later printings advance it.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Morning of the Poem a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Won the 1981 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. First printing: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, New York, 1980, identified by the publisher's number line on the copyright page (a complete descending line including 1 indicates the first printing). Issued in black cloth and blue paper-covered boards with dust jacket.
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. US FSG (1980) is the true first edition.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book club edition. The first printing is shown by the number line; later printings advance it.
I have a first edition of The Morning of the Poem — 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.