New Poems. by THOMAS, Dylan - 1943

Norfolk, CN: The Poets of the Year, New Directions,, 1943. Dylan, Son of Wave First edition, first printing. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the front pastedown, "To Lord Howard de Walden, from Dylan Thomas, November 1944". The recipient was influential Welsh arts patron Thomas Evelyn Scott-Ellis, the 8th Baron Howard de Walden, who lived nearby Thomas at Plas Llanina, whilst Thomas was living in a coastal bungalow, Majoda, in New Quay in 1944. De Walden was at one time the 12th richest man in Britain and used his wealth to promote Welsh heritage, acting as president of the National Museum of Wales and a governor of the National Library. Upon meeting Dylan Thomas De Walden presented him with fifty pounds, invited him to regular literary parties, and allowed him free reign of the 'Apple House' at the bottom of the Plas Llanina garden in which to write. De Walden was an experienced author himself, and was potentially highly influential for Thomas in a more subtle way - as many credit his work as Thomas's namesake. As a younger man De Walden wrote a number of libretti and plays relating to Welsh folklore under the name T. E. Ellis, including "Dylan, Son of Wave", the second opera in his operatic trilogy The Cauldron of Annwn, based on the Welsh language Arthurian text The Mabinogion. Many now believe that the name Dylan came to Thomas's father's attention due to the fevered press notices for De Walden's opera in 1914, the year of Thomas's birth, making this a delightful deeper association. Thomas has additionally made a manuscript correction to the text of On a Wedding Anniversary, correcting "the crowd" to "a crowd". Octavo, pp. [28]. Original staple-bound white paper wrappers. With the purple dust jacket, lettered in black. Housed in a black flat-back cloth box by the Chelsea Bindery. Lightly toned; a near-fine copy in the jacket with fading to edges, slight split to spine. Rolph B9.