^#598 ^Lot 626 Archibald MacLeish

Poet and Librarian of Congress (1892–1982). Associated with the Modernist genre of poetry, MacLeish received three Pulitzer Prizes for his work. ALS, one page, lightly-lined, 4.75 x 8.75, personal letterhead, August 4, 1977. MacLeish writes to “Churchill,” in part: “Thank you for your very moving letter and for your enclosure. I’m not sure that I ‘represent’ anything but if you find I do I’ll try to live up to it. Only one word of caution. Poems must be read literally as well as at ‘other levels.’ The ‘success’ (your word) as the end of The Wild Old Wicked Man is very, very literally what the poem says of it—a passion realized—most realized—’when no passion can.’ One lives beyond the possibility of sexual love but not beyond the love—the sexual love.” In fine condition.