:: :: University of Virginia Library

[Texts collated are 1: earliest printing, Spiral Press Christmas booklet for 1956; 2: Atlantic Monthly (November 1957, pp. 52-56); 3: Saturday Review (21 March 1959, p. 18); 4: In The Clearing (NY: Holt, 1962, pp. 41-58); 5: a typescript of version 2 in the Clifton Waller Barrett Library, University of Virginia, 10 pp., inscribed by RF to Elizabeth Shepley Sergeant, dated 9 September 1957. Line reference is to 4. Also collated are two reprint texts; one deriving from number 2 and printed in Anthology of Magazine Verse for 1958 (NY: Schulte, 1959, pp. 69-83), designated 2a below, and the other deriving from 4 and printed in The Poetry of Robert Frost (1971), pp. 428-443; edited by Edward Connery Lathem. The Anthology is true to its copy excepting one misprint at line 100 (see below). The Lathem edition lists all emendations made to 4.]

3 Who knows but a great] 4; omit 1; Even a rather great 2,5
4 Emblematic] 2,4,5; A prophetic 1
7-8 Out . . . City] 2,4,5; omit 1
9-10 ago. / I] 2,4,5; ago. / It was then as though / I could hardly wait / To degravitate. / Habit couldn't hold me. / I 1
11 Fate] 2,4,5; fate 1
14 think] 2,4,5; say 1
14 poor—] 2,4,5; poor&c.rat; 1
16 where&c.rat;] 2,4,5; where. 1
17-101 I . . . among / Some] 2,4,5 plusmn; (see 18-100); Still I must have known, / Something in me told me, / Flight would first be flown, / It is on my tongue / To say first be sprung, / Into the sublime / Off these sands of time / For his hour glass. / I felt in me wing / To have up and flung / An immortal fling. / I might well have soared, / I might well have sung, / Though my bent was toward / Little more, alas, / Than Cape Hatteras; / And I fell among / Some 1
18 Faster than my tread——] 4; Down along the coast 2,5
19 the] 4; a 2,5
19 crumpled,] 4; crumpled&c.rat; 2,5
19 better&c.rat;] 4,5; better— 2
21 I . . . thrown.] 4; I to waste had thrown—— / Given up for dead. 2,5
22 boast,] 4; boast&c.rat; 2,5
25 claim] 4; say 2,5
29 the] 4; its 2,5
37 Taurus,] 4; Taurus&c.rat; 2,5
40-45 It . . . unknown] 4; I felt in me wing / To have up and flung / A heroic fling; / And might well have sung / The initial flight / That was to be flown 2,5
49-50 hourglass. / Once] 4; hourglass. / That initial flight / I can see now might / Well have been my own. / Once 2,5
50 Master,] 4; master&c.rat; 2,5
51 met,] 4; met&c.rat; 2,5
52 I'd been here one night] 4; I had been here too 2,5
55 For . . . flight] 4; For the flight he flew 2,5
57-60 For . . . original?] 4; Would he mind had I / Had him beaten to it? / Could he tell me why / Be original? 2,5
65-66 That . . . laughed.] 4; Someone else was first? / He saw I was daffing. / He took this from me. / Still it was no laughing / Matter I could see. / He made no reply. 2,5

247

67 was] 4; was 2,5
69 overlong] 2,5; over long 4
72-73 wrong. / Of] 4; wrong. / That was why this craft / Man was first to waft / Like a kiss to God / Stayed so long abroad / In repository / And appreciation / With a foreign nation. / Of 2; Wrong. / That . . . craft / Gas was first to waft / Off the earth to God / Stayed . . . nation. / Of 5
74-75 Is . . . brave,] 4; Is the theft of glory, 2,5
78 But the] 4; 'Twas a 2,5
78-79 story&c.rat; / Has . . . redressed.] 4; story. / But we needn't rave: / All has been redressed. 2,5
81 had any] 4; might have one 2,5
82 runway's] 4; Runway's 2,5
84 is] 4; was 2,5
88 dark Hatteras&c.rat;] 4; Cape Hatteras, 2,5
89 sad] 4; else 2,5
94-95 And . . . folly / Getting] 2,4; And even greater folly. / Anyway the thing / Is I didn't sing. / Getting 5
94.1 space] 4; no space 2,5
98 Götterdämmerung] 4; omit 2,5
99 That I might] 4; I was to 2,5
100 I . . . among] 4; And I fell among 1; For I fell among 2,5 (2a: felt among)
105 Or] 4; And 1,2,5
105 demijohn] 2,4; demi-john 1,5
106-107 (Need . . . flask?)] 2,4,5; omit 1
108 duck&c.rat;] 2,4,5; duck, 1
114 But their lack] 4; Being out 1,2,5
115 gay&c.rat;] 4; gay, 1,2,5
119-120 revelry—— / All] 4; revelry; / Even at their height / All 1; revelry / Even to the height— / All 2,5
129 Something] 2,4,5; All which 1
132 themselves] 2,4; someone 1; them feel 5
144 where-all] 1,4; whereall 2,5
152 for:] 2,4,5; for; 1
160 daughter:] 2,4,5; daughter. 1
163 the] 2,4,5; our 1
163 walk,] 2,4,5; walk; 1
166 Of . . . sound;] 2,4,5; (Of the inner sound). 1
167 "And . . . full,"] 4; &c.rat;And . . . full,&c.rat; 1,2,5
168 said&c.rat;] 2,4,5; said, 1
169 I aptly] 2,4,5; right there 1
169-170 quoted . . . . And its] 4; quoted, / That old laurel-crowned / Lord of a John Bull. / The moon's 1,2,5
171 overhead,] 2,4,5; overhead&c.rat; 1
172 Small&c.rat;] 2,4,5; Small, 1
175 Kitty . . . Kitty,] 4; omit 1,2,5
177 selfsame] 4; self-same 1,2,5
178 men&c.rat;] 2,4,5; men, 1
179 upon] 4; twice on 1,2,5
179 pity,] 2,4,5; pity: 1
180 Equally profound] 2,4,5; omit 1
181-182 For . . . drowned.] 2,4,5; For a daughter drowned, / For a son astray. 1
182.1-14 Kitty Hawk . . . off.] 1,2,5plusmn;; omit 4
182.2 dismay.] 2,5; dismay, 1
182.3 Men . . . away.] 2,5; omit 1

248

182.4 And] 2,5; But 1
182.7 Man's small] 2,5; mankind's 1
182.8 his unsuccess] 2,5; for their distress 1
182.14 [end of 1]
185 Beach] 4; beach 2,5
189 this] 4; the 2,5
190 Someday] 4; To a flying 2,5
193 fly.] 4; fly, 2,5
199 (aliquid)] 4,5; (aliquid) 2
200 you,] 4; you&c.rat; 2,5
205 yeoman] 4; yeoman's 2,5
207 there&c.rat;] 4; there, 2,5
212 Then I saw it all] 4; This we're certain of, / All we do and try / All we really love / Is to signify. 2; This . . . of / All . . . signify. 2a,5
212.1 space] 4; no space 2,5
214 instinctive venture] 4; godless adventure 2,5; unblessed adventure 3
215-216 Into . . . material] 3,4; omit 2,5 (see l. 218)
217 When] 3,4; Since 2,5
218 tree.] 3,4; tree / Into what they call / the Material. 2,5 (see ll. 215-216)
226 for] 4; of 2,3,5
227 matter——] 3,4; matter&c.rat; 2,5
228-229 &c.rat;Not . . . misgiving.&c.rat;] 3,4; (Not . . . misgiving.) 2,5
228 due] 3,4; some 2,5
229 a great] 3,4; the soul's 2,5
230-245 All . . . emulation] 2,4,5; omit 3
235 matter)&c.rat;] 4; matter), 2,5
241 meditation.] 4; meditation&c.rat; 2,5
242 What . . . fuss] 4; And made such a fuss 2,5
243 us?] 4; us. 2,5
246-257 Spirit . . . material.] 3,4; omit 2,5
247 it's] 4; its 3
251 We may] 4; Why not 3
258-308 In . . . fate.] 4; omit 2,5
258-401 In . . . think.] 4; omit 3
320 'Twas] 4; Was 2,5
337 God] 4; he 2,5
338 We] 4; I 2,5
364 it, . . . were,] 4; it&c.rat; . . . were&c.rat; 2,5
373 That's how we became] 2,4; Was that how we came 5
374-375 small, / Justly] 4; small, / Easy to asperse / For its size and worse, / Justly 2,5
377 universe.] 4; universe? 2,5
389 this] 4; the 2,5
394.1 no space] 4; space 2,5
402 Pilot,] 2,4,5; Pilot&c.rat; 3
404 swoop,] 4; swoop&c.rat; 2,3,5
407 backyard] 3,4,5; back yard 2
419-436 Those . . . expressed.] 3,4; But let's get this straight: / There creation is. / More or less control / Of it is the whole / Business of the soul. 2,5
426 or] 4; and 3
436 [end of 3]
436.1 THE MIXTURE MECHANIC] 4; omit 2,5
437 This wide] 4; And this 2; Yes this 5
438 or] 4; and 2,5
439-440 approve / Of them] 2,4; approve / Of the sun and moon / Keeping 5

249

440-441 move. / Ours] 4,5; move, / Be they stars or moon. / Ours 2
446 That's the tune,] 4; that's the tune&c.rat; 2; that's the tune, 5
448 curd,] 4; curd&c.rat; 2,5
450 Action] 4; Motion 2,5
457 divine,] 4; divine&c.rat; 2,5
458 —baton,] 4; —baton&c.rat; 2,5
461 She's] 4,5; We're 2
464 Some . . . Satan,] 4; Some consider Satan, 2,5