Collection 'Several Short Poems" Publication

In February 1924, Henry Holt and Company issued Several Short Poems, a small four page booklet by Robert Frost produced in a limited printing of approximately 2,000 copies. The publication was designed for distribution at Frost’s public lectures and readings, which he often described as “barding around.” The booklet consisted of a single sheet of handmade paper folded to create four pages, reflecting a simple format intended for hand to hand circulation rather than commercial sale. The cover featured a woodcut illustration by artist J. J. Lankes, who collaborated with Frost on several publications during the 1920s. The booklet included six poems drawn from Frost’s earlier and recent work: “The Pasture,” “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” “The Oven Bird,” “An Old Man’s Winter Night,” “The Runaway,” and “Nothing Gold Can Stay.” These selections combined short lyrics and reflective nature poems that Frost frequently used in readings. The printing coincided with a period of expanding recognition for Frost, and later in 1924 his collection New Hampshire received the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. Because Several Short Poems was produced in a limited run for lecture audiences, surviving copies became uncommon and are often described as rare examples of Frost’s early promotional publications.