US-RPB-ms78.15 Guide to the Howard Milton Blake papers1930-1950 Finding aid prepared by John E. Ingram, Manuscripts Processor, under the direction of Clifton H. Jones, Manuscripts Curator, June 1978. Brown University Library
Box ABrown UniversityProvidence, RI 02912Tel: 401-863-2162Fax: 401-863-1272email: rock@brown.edu
 Finding aid encoded by Daniel Mejia 2008 September 30 English English Brown University LibrarySpecial Collections
Box A, John Hay LibraryBrown UniversityProvidence, RI 02912Tel: 401-863-2146E-mail: hay@brown.edu
 Blake, Howard Milton, 1914-1960 Howard Milton Blake papers 1930-1950 Blake (Howard Milton) papers 1930-1950 1.75 linear feet (2 legal size clamshell boxes) The Howard Milton Blake papers are comprised of multiple versions of verse and prose written by Blake. The collection was edited before it came to Brown University by Robert Kent and was published under the title "The Island of Self: Poems of Howard Blake" (Boston 1973). The book reproduces almost all of the verse in the collection, but none of the prose; there is, however, a reprint of Blake's preface to his only published book of verse "Prolegomena To Any Future Poetry" (Boston 1936). Ms. 78.15 Biographical note

Howard Milton Blake was born in 1914 and died in 1960. In 1936 Prolegomena To Any Future Poetry was published. Subsequently he published erratically in poetry journals and occasionally wrote literary reviews for several Boston papers.

For further particulars of Blake's life and career, please see Robert Kent's introduction in his book of Blake's poetry The Island Self.

 Collection Information

There are no restrictions on access, except that the collection can only be seen by prior appointment. Some materials may be stored off-site and cannot be produced on the same day on which they are requested.

In 1978, Professor Austin Warren, Blake's literary executor, transferred to the Brown University Library the literary rights to this collection. Permission to quote, publishe or reproduce materials from this collection must be obtained from the Brown University Library.

Howard Milton Blake papers, Ms. 78.15, Brown University Library.

The collection consists of all the extant manuscript verse and prose of Howard Blake. Existing in hand-written and typed drafts and copies, the material was edited by Robert Kent under the supervision of Austin Warren and was published under the title The Island Self: Poems of Howard Blake.

What is of prime interest in the collection is Blake's creative process, easily visible throughout the drafts and reworkings of his verse up to the point of publication. This creative process is analysed in Kent's preface. Kent's own organizational apparatus for the editing of the material is also included in the collection.

Approximately fifteen percent of the collection was not included in Kent's publication, either because the work was considered too "juvenile" in character or because it simply was left unfinished at the time of Blake's death and deemed not significant enough for publication.

The prose material in the collection consists of some sixteen different items and includes book reviews and literary essays. Some were apparently published during Blake's lifetime in among other places Boston newspapers.

The papers are arranged to two series: Series 1. Verse Series 2. Prose by Howard Blake

Preceding the section of verse are Robert Kent's brief, and somewhat enigmatic, notes of explanation of his own organizational method and its shorthand. According to this scheme verse and prose are arranged alphabetically. Following the prose section is the typed manuscript of the Kent publication with only Austin Warren's foreword being absent.

The Howard Milton Blake papers were given by Professor Austin Warren in 1970.

 Names Blake, Howard Milton, 1914-1960 Kent, Robert Subjects Poets, American--Biography RIAMCO Browsing Terms Language and Literature Types of materials Poems Essays Reviews (book) Occupations Poets Additional Information

Brown University Library catalog record for this collection: Howard Milton Blake papers

 Series 1. Versecirca 1930-1950 2 boxes A. Verse of Howard Blake used in Robert Kent's bookcirca 1930-1950 1 1 Robert Kent's notes which explain his organizational methods for the editing of Howard Blake's poetrycirca 1930-1950 1 2 Analyse des Amuntscirca 1930-1950 1 2 Awarenesscirca 1930-1950 1 2 Apart: One Fourthcirca 1930-1950 1 2 Another Blue Bloomcirca 1930-1950 1 2 Action of Musiccirca 1930-1950 1 2 Argent Solipsismcirca 1930-1950 1 3 Boy and the Humanistcirca 1930-1950 1 3 On his being arrived at the age of twenty-threecirca 1930-1950 1 3 Because the water has receded from the skincirca 1930-1950 1 4 Credo Essayedcirca 1930-1950 1 4 Conscious Immersioncirca 1930-1950 1 5 Diog. Laertius Quotescirca 1930-1950 1 5 Decision Were Panaceacirca 1930-1950 1 6 Elegycirca 1930-1950 1 6 Emergencycirca 1930-1950 1 7 Exercise: to a modern philosophercirca 1930-1950 1 7 Epiphanycirca 1930-1950 1 7 The Expectationcirca 1930-1950 1 8 Gold beneath the floorcirca 1930-1950 1 8 Grinzling: Oesterreichcirca 1930-1950 1 9 Hermeneuticalcirca 1930-1950 1 9 Habe ja doch nichts begangencirca 1930-1950 1 10 He thought to utter oceancirca 1930-1950 1 11 I had not known that you could be so tallcirca 1930-1950 1 11 Is there a word to burst the subtle skincirca 1930-1950 1 11 Is it never to loose the self, nowhere to find meet lipscirca 1930-1950 1 11 I saw once...circa 1930-1950 1 11 Is there no place where sun will gild the flesh circa 1930-1950 1 12 Little can be done about itcirca 1930-1950 1 12 Lyric: on other termscirca 1930-1950 1 13 Mr. All Ditherscirca 1930-1950 1 13 Meditation in wintercirca 1930-1950 1 14 Notes for an elegy [To John Brooks Wheelwright]circa 1930-1950 1 14 Night Standcirca 1930-1950 1 15 Overtonescirca 1930-1950 1 15 Of one in a dark, dark placecirca 1930-1950 1 16 Prophecy before deathcirca 1930-1950 1 16 Perhaps frail meanscirca 1930-1950 1 16 Parlour laughtercirca 1930-1950 1 17 Pontificate the sell-outcirca 1930-1950 1 18 Rebellioncirca 1930-1950 1 18 Rorate coeli desupercirca 1930-1950 1 18 Ruminations at Rain Timecirca 1930-1950 1 19 10 September 1950. 4 amcirca 1930-1950 1 19 Sestina to memory as Eleanor Blake Warren (1910-1946)circa 1930-1950 1 19 Slight reckoningcirca 1930-1950 1 20 Sic semper amantibuscirca 1930-1950 1 20 Sin sanctity society and so oncirca 1930-1950 1 20 Still, Till Rigor Breakcirca 1930-1950 1 21 Theseuscirca 1930-1950 1 21 This Catholic, Court This, This Myriad Mindcirca 1930-1950 1 21 This change is soughtcirca 1930-1950 1 21 That counterfeit community with Joecirca 1930-1950 1 21 The Indeterminate is here and nowcirca 1930-1950 1 22 Tidal Patterncirca 1930-1950 1 23-25 These Questions for Balancecirca 1930-1950 1 26 The Translated Silencecirca 1930-1950 1 27 Transcorporeal wantedcirca 1930-1950 1 27 Then eye were clearcirca 1930-1950 1 28 Vivimus quod vivimuscirca 1930-1950 1 28 Wet at the hubcirca 1930-1950 1 28 The younger communist poetscirca 1930-1950 B. Verse of Howard Blake not used in Robert Kent's bookcirca 1930-1950 2 1-5 Juvenilia, unfinished poems, comments on another person's poetrycirca 1930-1950 2 6 Typescript of Robert Kent's book: "The Island Self: Poems of Howard Blake"circa 1930-1950 Series 2. Prose by Howard Blakecirca 1930-1950 9 folders 2 7 A Note on Wallace Stevenscirca 1930-1950 2 8 Henry Kingcirca 1930-1950 2 9 Of Man and War and Peacecirca 1930-1950 2 10 The Sage and a Sainte Beurecirca 1930-1950 2 11 Theoretical answers concerning aesthetics...circa 1930-1950 2 12 Thoughts after Sherrycirca 1930-1950 2 13 Thoughts on Modern Poetrycirca 1930-1950

Includes processed copy of article published in Sewanee Review (1935 April-June).

 2 14-15 Book reviews written by Howard Blake and on his own "Prolegoneena to Any Future Poetry"circa 1930-1950