Poetry

Poetry holds a place of particular distinction in antiquarian bookselling: first editions printed in small numbers, pamphlets published at the author's own expense, collections enriched with an inscription, working manuscripts revealing deletions and variants, and poets' correspondence that sheds light on the genesis of a work or the literary friendships of an era. The bibliophilic interest lies as much in the rarity of the print run as in the provenance or dedication, which bring the collector closer to the very act of writing.

It also offers the collector the opportunity to trace the evolution of a language and a sensibility across the centuries, from classical verse to the freest of forms, in copies that often bear the trace of a particular reading or friendship.