# Is "Things of This World" by Richard Wilbur a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Things of This World by Richard Wilbur (Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1956) is identified by: Harcourt, Brace first edition with 'First edition' stated on the copyright page; light blue cloth, spine stamped in black; viii, 50 pages; in priced dust jacket. US true first; Pulitzer and National Book Award winner and Wilbur's most collected single volume.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Harcourt, Brace first edition with 'First edition' stated on the copyright page; light blue cloth, spine stamped in black; viii, 50 pages; in priced dust jacket
- Won the 1957 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry and the 1957 National Book Award
- Publisher imprint reads Harcourt, Brace and Company
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Richard Wilbur |
| Publisher | Harcourt, Brace and Company |
| Year | 1956 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Poetry |
| Key point | Harcourt, Brace first edition with 'First edition' stated on the copyright page; light blue cloth, spine stamped in black; viii, 50 pages… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Harcourt, Brace first edition with 'First edition' stated on the copyright page; light blue cloth, spine stamped in black; viii, 50 pages; in priced dust jacket. Won the 1957 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry and the 1957 National Book Award.

## Is this the true first?
US true first; Pulitzer and National Book Award winner and Wilbur's most collected single volume. Signed copies desirable.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition; later printings carry a printing statement rather than the 'First edition' line.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Things of This World* by Richard Wilbur a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/things-of-this-world
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.