Wheels fourth cycle Edith Sitwell / Wilfred Owen first edition 1919

SITWELL, Edith; OWEN, Wilfred - Wheels fourth cycle
 
London: B.H. Blackwell (1919)
 
8vo, in the publisher’s paper covered boards, with a cloth spine, with a superb cubist design by the artist William Roberts called ‘Gun Drill’ and equally superb end papers by the same artist of soldiers playing darts; pp viii, 9-102 [2]; in very good condition with some light rubbing to the sides edges of the boards, toning to the paper label on the spine and a few grubby marks to the lower board, otherwise nice, the pages in particular are clean and without marks.
 
First edition of the fourth volume (or cycle) of Edith Sitwell’s poetry anthology that would run to six volumes. This the most sought after, this being for the inclusion of fallen soldier poet Wilfred Owen’s seven poems. The volume is also dedicated to him, and Sitwell has said “We dedicate this book to the memory of Wilfred Owen M.C.”. The anthology would be published a year before Owen’s posthumous collection came out in 1920. The poems here represent their first appearance in print, such as the sentry and strange meeting, a poem Sitwell said was found amongst Owen’s papers, where he was stationed. An attractive book with the William Roberts designed cover, but made rare due to the inclusion and first publication of his poems.