I Sent Thee Late (1922)

This early poem was added to the Complete Short Poetry (1991). Although apparently written in 1922, it was first published only in June 1965 as a tiny booklet in an edition of just 20 copies by Laurence H. Scott at the Harvard Yard, Cambridge, Mass (for images, go here). The poem then appeared incorporated into “A”-18 (1967), where LZ explains that CZ “wanted to save / this poem” and quotes the poem in its entirety (390.32-391.8). The poem originally shows up as part of a typescript of a carefully arranged selection of early poems entitled The First Seasons, which according to LZ’s hand-written note were composed ca. 1920-1924, the years LZ was as student at Columbia University. Just when this typescript was put together is uncertain. However, like most of the poems in the typescript, this poem has no title, which LZ added much later, turning the old poem into one of his valentines to his wife.