Robert Frost, Man of Letters

Abstract

Abstract This volume of Frost's collected letters, the first of four volumes to be issued by Harvard University Press, makes an auspicious start on an important literary project. The letters themselves—whether persuasive, appreciative, or explorative in intent—are arresting in their clarity and immediacy, their humor and tact, everywhere revealing a craftsman of language in service of an original mind and complex personality. While creating an epistolary autobiography in their self-revelation, they provide a fascinating window into the poetry and literary history of the early twentieth century. The volume is superbly edited. Its introductions and notes, indexes and appendixes are thorough without being cumbersome, offering a rewarding experience to anyone with a serious interest in Frost and an invaluable resource for scholars. The next three volumes, if done as well, as we have every reason to expect, will complete a fitting tribute to one of our greatest and most unusual poets.