The Letters of T. S. Eliot, Volume 1: 1898-1922 (25 page)

1–EP had been an Instructor in Romance Languages at Wabash College, Crawfordville, 1907–8.

2–TSE thought Edgar Lee Masters’s
Spoon River Anthology
(New York, 1915) ‘not material of the first intensity’ (‘Reflections on Vers Libre’, NS 8 [3 Mar. 1917], 518–19).

3–Word cancelled but not replaced.

4–Next five sentences crossed through, from ‘Browning …’ to ‘… in their day’.

5–EP’s ‘The seafarer’ appeared in
Ripostes
(1912); his version of ‘The Exile’s Letter’ in
Cathay
(1915).

6–Robert Frost,
North of Boston
(1914), which EP reviewed (‘Modern Georgics’,
Poetry
5: 3, Dec. 1914), praising Frost for daring to write ‘in the natural speech of New England’, and calling the book ‘a contribution to American literature’ (
Selected Essays
, 384–6).

 7–The anonymous reviewer of
Exultations
went on to call EP ‘too bookish and literary’ (
The Spectator
, 11 Dec. 1909, 1001).

8–‘Henry James went to France and read Tourgueneff. W. D. Howells stayed at home and read Henry James’ (George Moore,
Confessions of a Young Man
[1888], 254–5).

9–
Catholic Anthology
1914–1915
(Nov. 1915), published in an edition of 500 copies, included ‘The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock’, ‘Portrait of a Lady’, ‘The Boston Evening Transcript’, ‘Aunt Helen’, and a new prose poem, ‘Hysteria’.

10–
Des Imagistes: An Anthology
(New York, 1914). The ‘new word’ was ‘Imagism’.

11–‘Imagism as a proof of the vitality of the English race.’

12–‘renewed poetry to the noise of the western guns’. 

MS
Houghton

[Postmark 2 July 1915]

3 Compayne Gdns,
¹
London
N.W.

Dear Henry

You will have heard by this time of the surprising changes in my plans. You know, however, what I always wanted, and I am sure that it will seem natural enough to you. The only really surprising thing is that I should have had the force to attempt it, and when you know Vivien, I am sure that you will not be surprised at that either. I know that you will agree that the responsibility and independent action has been and will be just what I needed. Now my only concern is how I can make her perfectly happy, and I think I can do that by being myself infinitely more fully than I ever have been. I am much less suppressed, and more confident, than I ever have been.

Your letter came very opportunely. It showed that the family will be better prepared for my decision. I have given it to Vivien: she wanted to keep it. She likes you. I cannot tell you how much pleasure it gave me.

Now I am going to ask you to do something for me, in case you are in Boston or New York this summer. These are suggestions of Ezra Pound’s, who has a very shrewd head, and has taken a very great interest in my prospects. There will be people to be seen in Boston and New York, editors with whom I might have some chance, and it might even be better, if you are on the spot, for you to see them than for me. As you are likeliest to be in Boston, the first thing is the
Atlantic Monthly
. Now Pound considers it important, whenever possible, to secure introductions to editors from people of better social position than themselves. In a paper of notes which he made out for me he says: ‘Mrs Gardner ought to insist on the
Atlantic
’s making you their English representative. Sedgwick
²
would think it a score off me, whom he hates, to have someone here in touch with everything that I know’. I do not know how much Mrs G. can or will do in that quarter, but I am enclosing a letter of introduction to her, and I shall write to her at once about my affairs. I should like you to see Sedgwick, and find out if anything can be done.

My assets up to date are the poem you have seen, another long poem (earlier and inferior) which will be out presently in a small new publication called
Others
in New York,
³
which may be useful because it includes some
of the people whom Amy Lowell and Houghton Mifflin are taking up, and the assurance of a dozen pages in an anthology like
Imagistes
, to be out in the autumn; with not the same people (except Pound) and including Masters, whom you may have heard of, as he first appeared. I also have on hand some rather second rate things which I may send to Mencken (the
Smart Set
).
⁴

On second thoughts I enclose part of Pound’s paper of notes. Besides
Century
and
Harpers
, I believe there is also the
Bookman
. Nothing needs to be done in Chicago, I believe. You know F. Hackett, who was in that paper in which you sometimes did reviews, don’t you.
⁵
I believe he is now in New York, and he is an editor of the
New Republic
. That pays, and might be persuaded to take criticism, or little articles.
⁶
What I want is 1) to have these magazines mentioned know my name in some personal way. 2) to get some steady connection such as the writing of an ‘English letter’ or discussion of current French stuff. There is little of the latter now, but there is enough of the last year-or-two’s produce which is unknown to America to provide matter for some time. James Huneker’s
⁷
rot pays him, and I don’t see why more intelligent writing should not be made to.

Forgive the exclusively practical tone of this letter. I feel more alive than I ever have before. We are anxious that mother and father should come over to see us, and I hope you will use your influence, as I do not want
anything
but possibly his business to interfere.

I want to send you her picture soon. Vivien is not very well at present, and this has knocked her out completely, so I do not want one taken yet.

I am hoping you will be able to settle in N.Y. or Boston soon.

Always affectionately
Tom

1–The Hampstead home of VHE’s parents.

2–Ellery Sedgwick (1872–1960), a close friend of Isabella Stewart Gardner, bought the
Atlantic Monthly
in 1908 and edited it with great success for thirty years.

3–‘Portrait of a Lady’ appeared in the anthology
Others
I: 3 (Sept. 1915), 35–40.

4–H. L. Mencken (1880–1956), journalist and critic, was co-editor (with George Jean Nathan) of
The Smart Set
, 1914–23.

5–Francis Hackett (1883–1962), Irish author, was editor of
The New Republic
, 1914–22.

6–TSE published no articles or reviews between 1909 and 1916.

7–James Huneker (1857–1921), American music critic, also wrote about art, literature and drama for the New York
Sun
, 1900–17. TSE had reviewed his book
Egoists
in
Harvard Advocate
88: 1 (5 Oct. 1909), 16. 

[In Vivien’s hand:]

I have read this letter and I am sure we can depend on you to help us. I read the letter you wrote to Tom and liked it so much, and I almost feel I know you. I should like it if you will write to me.

Vivien S. Eliot

MS
Chicago

10 July 1915

3 Compayne Gdns

Dear Miss Monroe

I received your cheque for eight guineas
²
some days ago, and only unusual preoccupations prevented me from acknowledging it and thanking you at once.

The address at the head of the paper will always reach me, and I will notify you of any change.

Sincerely yours
T. Stearns-Eliot

1–Harriet Monroe: see Glossary of Names.

2–Payment for ‘The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock’,
Poetry
(June 1915). 

MS
Gardner Museum

[10 July? 1915]

3 Compayne Gdns

My dear Mrs Gardner,

It gave me very great pleasure to hear from you, and to have so much that I am glad to hear about Prichard. I have heard a little from Furst, and a few weeks ago I saw Richard Fisher,
¹
but your letter gives much more what is essential.

I have been meaning to write to you for some time about my affairs, but they were at first so indefinite, and later so precipitous, that now when I am revealing them, I suppose that some of the people to whom I shall write will suspect either that I have been very secretive, or very rash. You will know that I have been neither.

The enclosed clipping will disclose one piece of news.
²
You said once that marriage is the greatest test in the world. I know now that you were right, but now I welcome the test instead of dreading it. It is much more than a test of sweetness of temper, as people sometimes think; it is a test of the whole character and affects every action. This is what I have discovered. I know that saying this, more than anything I can tell you 
about Vivien, and about my happiness, will show you that I have done the best thing. But I hope that I may some day bring her to see you, or better still, that you will be coming again to London.

The last sentence will show you that I have changed my plans. This process has gone on parallel with the other, and has fitted into it wonderfully. Since I have been at Oxford I have, as you know, acquired a few literary connections in London, and made a few friends who have been very encouraging. This support has nourished a hope which I had entertained before; and I see a possibility of being able to express myself through literary channels; and this I prefer to the makeshift of professional philosophy. It is hard to make a foothold, but I felt that the work at Harvard was deadening me. And the prospect of [becoming] a professor at some provincial university in America is not stimulating!

I want to live in London, and if one is to do anything in literature this is the best place to be. It was a London friend – Ezra Pound – who got printed for me the poem which I sent you. So we plan to settle here. And I am looking for a position in some London school, to substitute throughout the war; and if I can get this, it will help me through the most trying period. If not, some other occupation, for it takes time to attain independence in a literary life.

This is a far greater responsibility than I have ever incurred before. Yet I feel much more competent to face it. I worry far less over it than over infinitesimal things in the past. But I realise its full seriousness. Had I come to America this summer – I do not now expect to do so – I should have been able to interview editors myself, first because a personal acquaintance is necessary in order to place contributions, second because I should like to be a regular ‘foreign correspondent’ for some periodical. As it is, I expect my brother to be in Boston and New York at some time during the summer, and in Boston I am going to ask him to see the
Atlantic Monthly
, and possibly Miss Lowell.
³
And as he will probably be in Boston a fortnight I am taking the liberty of giving him a letter to you, in order that he may get your advice, if happily you are at Green Hill,
⁴
and in order that he may have the privilege of meeting you.

Well, this is really all my news. I am very tired and very happy. I have a great many letters to write. I will send
Blast
– if it ever comes out! Do pardon the messiness of this letter; at present I find myself writing parts of
letters, cramming them into my pocket and finishing them in railway stations or on the street.

Very sincerely yours,
Thomas Stearns Eliot

1–Richard T. Fisher (1876–1934), forester, became Director of Harvard Forest, Petersham, Massachusetts.

2–
The Times
had announced the Eliots’ marriage on 30 June: ‘STEARNS-ELIOT: HAIGHWOOD. On the 26 June, by special licence, Thomas Stearns-Eliot, youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Ware Eliot, of St Louis, Missouri, U.S.A., to Vivienne Haigh-Wood, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. C. H. Haigh-Wood, of 3 Compayne Gardens, Hampstead.’

3–Amy Lowell (1874–1925), poet and critic.

4–Mrs Gardner’s house in Brookline, Massachusetts. 

MS
Professor David G. Williams

10 July 1915

3 Compayne Gdns

Dear Professor Woods,

I have been starting letters to you for the past three weeks, and have never had the time to finish them. I must first thank you for your efforts on my behalf, though I do not now regret their failure. I must also with apologies withdraw my application for an assistantship at Harvard. I shall be sending you a complete typewritten copy of my notes on Mr Joachim’s Aristotle’s
Ethics
course.

My reason for resigning is that I wish now to remain in London and engage in literary work. This may perhaps seem a surprising choice and is admittedly a great risk – still it is much worse to be deterred from anything by fear, and I shall try it out. It is what I wanted to do before. Now I have made a few professional connections and am anxious to start the battle, with an initial literary capital of eight guineas from
Poetry
in Chicago.

I wish also to tell you that on the 26th June I was married quite privately to Miss Vivien Haigh-Wood of London. Our marriage was hastened by events connected with the war.

I do not regret my time spent in the graduate school, and I pant to tell you particularly how much I enjoyed the Sânkya and Patañjali course. And I shall write to Professor Lanman in appreciation of his friendship and kindness.
¹

Pray accept my wishes for a restful summer for Mrs Woods and yourself at Rockport, and my expression of continued interest in the department.

Sincerely yours
Thomas Stearns Eliot