SHAPES OF CLAY

San Francisco: W. E. Wood, Publisher, 1903. First Edition. Hardcover. Very good. First edition, second issue with the corrected couplet on page 71. The major collection of Bierce's later poems. Although he defined poetry in "The Devil's Dictionary" (1906) as "[a] form of expression peculiar to the Land beyond the Magazines," Bierce (1842-1914?) was a talented poet whose work in the medium reveals a vulnerability and tenderness that is rarely seen in his prose. From the library of Edward Robeson Taylor (1838-1923), the 28th Mayor of San Francisco (1907-10), with his bookplate to the front pastedown. The bookplate of American lawyer, journalist, and educational figure John Francis Neylan (1885-1960) appears on the front flyleaf. Octavo: xiv, [2], 396 p. Original burgundy cloth binding, with a striking design by Herman George Scheffauer stamped in gilt and lavender. Light foxing to the prefatory and concluding leaves and along the edges. Some mild wear to the corners and tips; otherwise very good. BAL 1122. (Inventory #: 77741)