Errors in The Collected Poems of A. M. Klein

by Zailig Pollock


By bringing out her edition of The Collected Poems of A. M. Klein (1974) so soon after the poet's death in 1972, Miriam Waddington performed an invaluable service for students of Klein. However, perhaps as a result of its hasty execution, the edition is marred by numerous errors. These errors fall into four categories:

A)
Omissions. Waddington claims to have printed all the published poems. Several are missing.
B)

Dates. There are some misprints in the dates assigned to poems in the Title Index.1

C)


Versions. Waddington claims to have used as her copy-texts the first published versions of poems not included in the three collections (Hath Not a Jew. . ., Poems, The Rocking Chair). Later versions have often been used instead, without acknowledgement.
D)
Errors. Errors in Waddington's copy-texts have often not been corrected and new ones have been introduced.

     The following list of errata is straightforward in the case of the first three categories. The fourth and most important category, textual errors, requires some further explanation.

     I have indicated without comment the cases when Waddington has introduced errors not found in the version of the poem which she has chosen as her copy-text. Most of these cases are obvious misprints. Sometimes, however, Waddington has emended her copy-text incorrectly. Although she does make a number of necessary emendations of misprints, many of the emendations, in particular modernizing of archaisms (sometimes to the detriment of the metre) and changes in punctuation, cannot be justified and find no support in other versions of the poems, published or unpublished, which Waddington appears rarely if ever to have consulted.

     I have also indicated without comment the cases when, because the end of a sentence coincides with the bottom of the page in Waddington's copy-text, she either misses a necessary break or introduces an unnecessary one. Again, the correct reading is easily determined by consulting other versions.

     When Waddington has reproduced an error in her copy-text, I have marked my correction with an asterisk. I have decided that a reading is an error when all three of the following hold true: 1) The reading is found only in the copy-text. 2) All other versions of the poem agree on the same alternate reading. 3) The reading in the copy-text presents difficulties (semantic, syntactical, metric, etc.) which the alternate reading does not.

     When my reasons for rejecting a reading are more complicated, I have indicated them in a note.

     When Waddington has not used the first published versions of a poem as her copy-text, as she claims, I have checked her text against the version which she has used. I have not tried to reproduce the readings of the first published version, as this would greatly increase the length of the list.

     Waddington's texts frequently differ from their originals in the use of italics and ellipsis points, but they do not do so in a consistent fashion. I have not listed any of the very numerous instances because Klein himself is inconsistent and the sense is never affected (although it could be argued that the tone sometimes is).

     I would like to thank Usher Caplan and Michael Treadwell for many helpful suggestions on general format and specific items.

Abbreviations:
CF - The Canadian Forum
CJC
- The Canadian Jewish Chronicle
MS - manuscript in the Klein papers in the Public Archives of Canada
ND - New Directions
SS
- The Second Scroll (1951)


ERRATA

A)





Omissions
In Memoriam: Arthur Ellis — Circle ViI/VIII (1946), 59-60
In Memoriam: Lillian Freiman — CJC, 8 Nov. 1940, p. 3
October Heresy —Alarm Clock II, 1 (Nov. 1933), 3
A Prayer of the Afflicted When He Is Overwhelmed — Opinion XI, 12 (Oct. 1941), 28
"Sincere, laborious for the common weal" — CJC, 7 March, 1941, p. 3
B)



Dates
Desiderata — 1932
Falstaff— 1930
Meditation Upon Survival — 1950
Song of Sweet Dishes — 1934
C)























Versions. [The published version used as the copy-text is followed by the first published version.]
And in that Drowning Instant —SS, pp. 195-97; Opinion XIII, 12 (Oct. 1943), 17
Autobiographical — SS, pp. 123-26; CF XXIII, (Aug. 1943), 106
Ballad of the Nursery Rhymes — CJC, 24 Oct. 1952, p. 4; CF XXI (Nov. 1941), 244
Concerning Four Strange Sons — CJC, 31 March 1939, p. 3; Canadian
Zionist
IV, 10 (March 1937), 103
Elegy —SS, pp. 127-34; New Palestine, 4 April 1947, pp. 106-07
Five Characters — Judaean IX, 6 (March 1936), 45; Menorah Journal XIII, 5 (Nov. 1927), 497-98
The Library — CJC, 21 Nov. 1952, p. 4; Preview 22 (Dec. 1944), 10
Messiah — Opinion III, 6 (April 1933), 23; Judaean V, 8 (May 1932), 7
Ni la Mort nile Soleil — CJC, 24 Oct. 1952, p. 4; Contemporary Poetry V, 1 (Spring 1945), 3
Of Remembrance — SS, pp. 191-93; CJC, 24 Oct. 1947, p. 6
Penultimate Chapter — CJC, 17 April 1953, p. 4; CF XXIII (May 1943), 36
Psalm 154: To the Chief Musician Upon Shoshannim. A Song of Loves — ND 8 (1944), 197; Poetry LVIII (April 1941), 6-7.
Sennet from Gheel —ND 8 (1944), 195; Poetry LIX (March 1942), 316-17
Soirée of Velvel Kleinburger —New Provinces, pp. 35-38; CF XII (Aug. 1932), 424-25
Song of Sweet Dishes —Judaean VIII, 9 (June 1935), 70; Judaean VIII, 1 (Oct. 1934), 4
Variation of a Theme —ND 8 (1944), 193-94; Preview 5 (July 1942), 1-2

D)


Textual errors
Note: The error precedes the ]; the correction follows it.
Line numbers refer to the line in the poem, not the line on the page.
* indicates error reproduced from copy-text.


     3
  
THE MONKEY
stanza 4 (4) degradate] degraduate2
     9
*
AHASUERUS
(10) wine] mine
     9
*
ESTHER
(10) does not lust] does lust
   10
HAMAN
(8) cap-a-pie] cap-à-pie
   13 CANDLE LIGHTS] THESE CANDLE LIGHTS
   13
AUTUMN
(2) enter] inter
   15

BALLAD OF SIGNS AND WONDERS
stanza 6 (2) One] She3
furies ] fairies3
   20
KOHELETH
stanza 3 (1) Negro] negro
   21 stanza 8 (1) Negro] negro
   23
HAUNTED HOUSE
(30) Piles] Plies
*  24 (75) think] thinking
    28
*
DIALOGUE
(18) clear] clean
    32
FALSTAFF
(13) who] who,
    36

YOSSEL LETZ
stanza 8 (3) wine] wine,
stanza 9 (2) cushions] cushions,
    42

FOUR SONNETS: MY LITERATI FRIENDS IN RESTAURANTS]
MY LITERATI FRIENDS IN RESTAURANTS
(10) gli altre] l'altre4
    43
FOUR SONNETS: WERE I TO TALK UNTIL THE CRACK
O'DOOM] WERE I TO TALK UNTIL THE CRACK O'DOOM
    50
SCATTERBRAIN SINGETH A SONG
(3) with creed] with the creed
    53
JOHANNUS, DEI MONACHUS, LOQUITUR
(28) through] thorough
    56
RABBI YOM-TOB HARANGUES HIS GOD should precede THE CHRONICLER CONTINUES5
    58
LEGEND OF LEBANON
stanza 3 (8) ago] agone
    64 stanza 29 (3) palate flatterer] palate-flatterer
    67
JONAH
(32) Up on] Upon
   68

ARITHMETIC
stanza 3 (2) stars, ] stars
(4) sun.] sun,
   71
MANUSCRIPT: THIRTEENTH CENTURY
* stanza 14 (8) when]whom
   72 stanza 15(5) ye] they
*  73 stanza 21 (1) not holy hour]no holy hour
    75
SONG OF SWEET DISHES
(9) gobble] gobble,
    75

GETZEL GELT6
stanza 1 (1) be,] be.
(4) flowers:] flowers;
    76





stanza 2 (1) barn,] barn
             (3) whiff,] whiff
stanza 7 (1) God's,] God's
             (2) blows,] blows
stanza 8 (3) barn,] barn
             (4) joyously;] joyously.
stanza 9 (2) paradise,] paradise
    77

*
*
*
*

*
stanza 10 (2) bees,] bees.
CALENDAR
(11) cell;] cell,
(13) rushed] rushes
(15) harvest-rain] harvest-wain
(16) Heshvan,] Heshvan.
(20) winter] wintry
(22) Ader] Adar
    83
*
DIARY OF ABRAHAM SEGAL, POET
8:15 (4) Appeal] Appeal, 84 9:05 no space after (12) ("Executives")
    86

12:20 space after (8) ("Snappy..
12:20-12:45 (20) oaths] oaths,
                           cry:] cry,
    91


*
SOIRÉE OF VELVEL KLEINBURGER
section beginning (72) ("Alas, that Velvel's sigh. . .") and ending (84)
("Shuffle the cards. . .") should follow (16) ("The Ace!")7
(84) Reb.] Reb
    95
CORRIGENDUM
(2) they] there8
  106
*
OF POESY
(19) threnoided] threnodied
  109
*
OF THE LILY WHICH TOILS NOT
(30) a l'outrance] à l'outrance
space after (56) ("As wife . . .")
  115
CHILDE HAROLD'S PILGRIMAGE
space after (67) ("Wrote for his strumpet!")
*116 (88) you] you,
  118 space after (162) ("My brain. . .")
  124
GREETING ON THIS DAY
i (4) mounting] mouthing 127 ix no space after (4) ("And who declares. . .")
  138
REB ZADOC HAS MEMORIES
stanza 10 (3) pleasure.] pleasure,
  142

ESTHER HEARS ECHOES OF HIS VOICE
stanza 5 separated from stanza 6 by * * * *
stanza 7 separated from stanza 8 by * * * *
  145
THE STILL SMALL VOICE
no space after (5)
  146
REB LEVI YITSCHOK TALKS TO GOD
space after (18) ("Thy favorite . . .")
  147 (35) bag o'bones] bag'o'bones
  164
BALLAD OF THE DANCING BEAR
vi (10) groshens] groschens
  183
OF NOTHING AT ALL: ORDERS] OF NOTHING AT ALL is a
section heading and should be separate from ORDERS, a poem title.
  197
THE HITLERIAD
xiii (41) learned] learnèd
  215
A PSALM, TO BE PRESERVED AGAINST TWO WICKED WORDS
(11) thou] Thou
  221
PSALM XX: A PSALM OF ABRAHAM, WHICH HE MADE AT THE FEAST
(4) And] Add
  223

PSALM XXII: A PRAYER OF ABRAHAM, AGAINST MADNESS
stanza 2 (3) maladies] maladies —
stanza 7 (3) thy] Thy9
  230

PSALM XXXI: TO THE CHIEF MUSICIAN, A PSALM OF THE
   BRATZLAVER, TOUCHING A GOOD GARDENER
space after iv (9) ("Embattled Bribery. . .")
  235

IN RE SOLOMON WARSHAWER
space after (30) ("and have. . .")
(39) bold] both
  237
(87) sounded] founded10
space after (93) ("I walk . .")
  245
*
YEHUDA HALEVI, HIS PILGRIMAGE
stanza 7 (9) puissance.] puissance?
  248
stanza 18 (7) entertained] entertainéd
stanza 20 (1) Or] O
  249 stanza 23 (4) Aristotle] Aristotele
  253
*
stanza 37 (6) upon] unto
stanza 38 (10) Thou] thou 254 stanza 40 (4) Zien] Zion
  265
VARIATION OF A THEME
stanza 2 (8) Doestanasher] Doestenasher
  267
AND IN THAT DROWNING INSTANT
space after (4) ("my preterite eternity")
  269
PENULTIMATE CHAPTER
space after (7) ("Stilled not . . .")
  270


ACTUARIAL REPORT
space after (8) ("Doomed to. . .")
space after (17) ("Is also calculated.")
space after (22) ("A state of hostilities.")
  271

(25) battlefields] battlefield
space after (29) ("General absence . . .")
space after (30) ("Have become . . .")
  273
AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL
stanza 8 (2) memories] memoirs
  281
*
THE LIBRARY
stanza 3 (8) reared] roared
  284
*
THE GOLEM
(4) muck] muck.
  286

DOCTOR DRUMMOND
line deleted following (12) ("consider his . . .")
And you will see them as he saw them as white natives,
  288
*
MEDITATION UPON SURVIVAL
(15) die.] die,
  289
*
*
A PSALM OF HORSES AND THEIR RIDERS
(2) groom] groomed
(3) back,] back
  290
ELEGY
(24) ("And the dark Miriam murdered for her hair;") should be repeated11
  301
GRAIN ELEVATOR
stanza 2 (8) beachhead] beached
  302
UNIVERSITÉ DE MONTRÉAL
(9) gowned] gownèd
  304 INDIAN RESERVATION: CAUGHNAWAGA (6) kin — ] kin? — 12
  308
THE SPINNING WHEEL
stanza 2 (6) do] to
  311 DRESS MANUFACTURER: FISHERMAN space after (24) ("grow a moss")13
  314


COMMERCIAL BANK
(4) horde] hoard 316 MONTREAL
stanza 1 (6) pendant] pendent
stanza 2 (2) plumed] plumèd
  322
LONE BATHER
space after (26) ("lazily the eight. . .")
  324
*
M. BERTRAND
(11) conferencier] conférencier
  327
SIRE ALEXANDRE GRANDMAISON
(10) Societé] Société14
  332


PORTRAIT OF THE POET AS LANDSCAPE
ii stanza 4 (5) loneliness] lonelinesses
  stanza 5 (4) unsuspecting] unsuspected
                (5) awakening] awaking
  335

vi stanza 1 (6) collusion] collision
    stanza 2 (4) heart — ] heart. —
    stanza 3 (6) this,] this
  338

CANTABILE
(23) cultural] culture
space after (27) ("not as his own. . .")15
  339
*
PARADE OF ST. JEAN BAPTISTE16
stanza 1 (7) moves] moves:
* 340
*
*
*
*
*
stanza 2 (3) hero] here:
              (6) rose,] rose
              (6) vert,] vert
              (6) blond,] blond
stanza 3 (11) parents;] parents,
stanza 4 (1) Herbert] Hebert
* 341
*
*
stanza 5 (5) tradition — orgulous] tradition-orgulous
              (11) tom'd] tomb'd.
stanza 7 (11) market] marked
* 342
*
*
*
stanza 8 (3) blank] bank
(9) le peup'] le peup',
(12) leige] liege
stanza 10 (8) picnic — loud] picnic-loud
  342
OF THE MAKING OF GRAGERS
(5) flippics] filippics
344
OF REMEMBRANCE
no space after (2)

Notes

  1. Another serious flaw in dating is that for poems in the published volumes the date given is that of the volume rather than of the poem's first publication. This information is redundant, since the dates of the published volumes are given elsewhere in the Collected, and it is useless to readers interested in the chronology of Klein's poetry. I have not listed these instances, since they result from an editorial decision (however questionable) rather than from errors in execution.[back]

  2. Waddington's emendation of"degraduate" to "degradate" gives a more regular rhythm, but the word "degradate" does not exist while the word "degraduate," though rare, does. Klein may have intended a pun on "graduate," since the poem appeared in a university paper, The McGill Daily.[back]

  3. Partly illegible in copy-text (CJC, 13 April 1928, p. 9). Correct readings clear in all other versions.[back]

  4. lialtre in the copy-text (Opinion II, 8 [25 July 1932], 16). Correct reading in XXII Sonnets and Poems (1932). Gli is ungrammatical.[back]

  5. Revised version reprinted in Hath Not a Jew. . .as RABBI YOM-TOB OF MAYENCE PETITIONS HIS GOD (Collected Poems, pp. 239-41).[back]

  6. Waddington emends the punctuation of this poem very freely. Two lines in her copy-text (Judaean VIII, 9 [June 1935], 70) require emendation: there is an extra period in line 16 and a period is missing in line 32. None of the other emendations are necessary. The punctuation is identical in Poems (1934).[back]

  7. A careful reading indicates that the version in ND (see section C of errata list) is garbled. All other versions agree on the correct order.[back]

  8. Corrected on tear sheet MS 24644.[back]

  9. Second person singular capitalized throughout. Corrected in Klein's copy of Poems MS 2745 (p. 28).[back]

  10. "Sounded" in Menorah Journal XXVIII, 2 (Summer 1940), 140, but "founded" in Smith, The Book of Canadian Poetry, p. 393, and altered from "sounded" to "founded" in Klein's copy of Poems MS 2745 (p. 52).[back]

  11. Waddington's copy-text (SS, pp. 127-34 — not the first printed version) has the repetition. It is not a typographical error: although it does not occur in earlier printed versions, Klein adds it in his revisions to a tear sheet from New Palestine, 4 April 1947, p. 106, MS 2283.[back]

  12. The Rocking Chair has kin' — . Correct reading in MS 2306.[back]

  13. Line 24 comes at the bottom of the page in the only other version of the poem (Contemporary Verse 22 [Fall 1947], 3) but the sense requires a break.[back]

  14. The version in The Rocking Chair and other Poems is lacking the two acute accents in "Sociéte". Waddington replaces only the second.[back]

  15. Line 27 comes at the bottom of the page in the only other version of the poem (Northern Review II, 3 [Sep-Oct. 1948], 30) but the sense requires a break.[back]

  16. Most of the numerous typographical errors in CF XXVII (Feb. 1948), 258-69 are corrected on tear sheets MS2509-10. In a few cases, noted below, Klein's corrections of errors in punctuation do not restore the reading in the original MS, MS2504-08, but result in a new variant. In such cases I have followed the MS as a better guide to Klein's intentions in the first published version of the poem.
    stanza 1

    (7) moves, festive and puissant,
    (8) (advances chief, law crouped and curvetting — )

    stanza 2 (5) blue,[back]