Manuscripts, notes, drafts, and proofs, 1951-1971

Series I is arranged into three sections: "Poems Published in Books,""Poems Not Published in Books," and proof copies. The first section includes manuscript and typescript drafts, notes, and proofs, related to the poems published in A Sense of Movement (1957), My Sad Captains and Other Poems (1961), Positives (1966), and Touch (1967). Drafts, notes, and proofs of poems that appeared in these works have been arranged together and placed in the order in which they appear in those works. Three folders of notes and drafts, identified by Gunn as "Work from Touch and Positives," appear as a separate grouping within "Poems Published in Books." The second section includes manuscript and typescript drafts and notes concerning poems not included in Gunn's book-length works that were written between 1951 and 1965. The category includes a chronological list made by Gunn (1974) for individual poems produced from 1951 thru 1960. Drafts of these poems have been arranged chronologically according to Gunn's list. Also included is Gunn's brief undated collection description that identifies poems grouped by years. Notes and drafts for poems that Gunn labelled "folder B 1960-1965" and "folder D 1960-1961" have been arranged alphabetically within each of these groupings. There are five proof copies, four of which are uncorrected. The uncorrected proof copies are of Moly, My Sad Captains, Poems 1950-1966 and Touch. The fifth proof copy with pen corrections is Anthology of Modern Poetry. The pen corrections are possibly by Thom Gunn.