WATKINS (Vernon, 1906-1967, Welsh Poet)

Fine group of 4 Typed Letters Signed to A.R.W. Farmer (of Poole, Dorset), saying that "no formula for writing good poetry exists or ever will exist", some cherish old masters and later find their style "almost surprisingly to themselves", others "sweep away conventional verse ... at the outset ... Poetic criticism is rather a hindrance" as a poet's development is not a straight line but "nearly always a spiral", he talks of Yeats' method of sustaining ideas, but shares Yeats' belief that "the finest and most permanent things in poetry are gifts ... You should test everything, every half-syllable, for energy and accuracy" (2nd October 1964), "I will sign the copy of Dylan Thomas' letters to me and return it with this", he talks about what the critics call success, but "a poet does not speak only to his own generation ... I never review a living poet", and, as he and his family will be in Bournemouth for half term, suggesting "coffee in the Christchurch Road, or something" (13th October 1964), "Your question about 'fossil' is difficult to answer, but I think it was ... the context that brought Dylan Thomas to mind ... all English words are common property ... the notion of plagiarism or echo only arises in the usage", citing Eliot's success in "transposition", the language of the old lady quoted by Farmer "was succinct, and gets full marks for what it was" (9th November 1964), "I really dislike passing judgment, but I think the longer poem shows more potential than the other", to Watkins "Literature, as such, is a bore ; but the poetry of belief has infinite excitement", he disagrees "that things are transient ... When you have kicked time in the pants ... there are so many gifts, so much material for gratitude ..." (10th July 1965), 5 sides 8vo., autograph additions at the foot of the first two letters, The Garth, Pennard Cliffs, near Swansea, 2nd October 1964 - 10th July

To his friend Dylan Thomas, Watkins was 'the most profound & greatly accomplished Welshman writing poems in English'.
It is interesting that he mentions having "kicked time in the pants". In the 1920's he suffered a mental breakdown. He had returned from work and become increasingly manic. He started shouting that he had conquered time and could now control both his own destiny and that of others. At that moment he heard a crash outside and looked out to see a motor-cyclist dead on the road and his bloodstained pillion passenger staggering up the path towards him. Vernon was convinced that he had willed this to happen and promptly collapsed.

Item Date:  1965

Stock No:  52739      £500

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