Stevie Smith – Not Waving But Drowning – First Edition 1957
£385.00
A first edition, first printing of ‘Not Waving But Drowning’ published by Andre Deutsch in 1957. A very good book with a little rubbing to the edges and to the corners. Some spotting internally and a little to the edges. The children’s Author, Dorothy Edwards to the front free endpaper. In a very good lightly spotted dust wrapper with a little chipping to the spine tips and corners.
A short, haunting poem about misunderstanding, loneliness, and ignored suffering. A dead man is described by onlookers who think his distress was playful, while his own voice reveals he was desperate and isolated. Smith uses simple language and a ballad-like rhythm to make the poem feel deceptively light, which deepens its sadness. The poem suggests that people often misread pain, especially emotional pain, and fail to see how deeply someone is struggling. Its title captures that central irony: what looks like a gesture or joke may actually be a cry for help.
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- Description
Description
A first edition, first printing of ‘Not Waving But Drowning’ published by Andre Deutsch in 1957. A very good book with a little rubbing to the edges and to the corners. Some spotting internally and a little to the edges. The children’s Author, Dorothy Edwards to the front free endpaper. In a very good lightly spotted dust wrapper with a little chipping to the spine tips and corners.
A short, haunting poem about misunderstanding, loneliness, and ignored suffering. A dead man is described by onlookers who think his distress was playful, while his own voice reveals he was desperate and isolated. Smith uses simple language and a ballad-like rhythm to make the poem feel deceptively light, which deepens its sadness. The poem suggests that people often misread pain, especially emotional pain, and fail to see how deeply someone is struggling. Its title captures that central irony: what looks like a gesture or joke may actually be a cry for help.
