History and Description of the Texts
The History of the Texts
The History of the Texts follows the same format as the Timeline: that is, each entry (or set of entries from the same period) is preceded by a date or date range.
It includes all available information relevant to the development of the text:
- Pratt's plans for the poem prior to composition
- the process of composition
- Pratt's correspondence with his publishers, including proof corrections
- publication
- Pratt's responses to such matters as layout and typographical errors
The main sources of information for the History are:
- David G. Pitt, E.J. Pratt: The Truant Years 1882-1927 (University of Toronto Press 1984) and E.J. Pratt: The Master Years 1927-1964 (University of Toronto Press 1987)
- Lila Laakso, "Descriptive Bibliography," in E.J. Pratt: Complete Poems, ed. by Sandra Djwa and R.G Moyles, Vol. 2, pp. 373-497 (University of Toronto Press 1989)
- the letters of E.J. Pratt, currently being edited by Professors Pitt and Popham (including annotations by Professor Pitt)
- material in the Victoria University Library (Toronto, Ontario), including the E.J. Pratt Collection, the Claire Pratt Collection, and Acta Victoriana
Description of the Texts
The Description of the Texts includes descriptions of all published and unpublished versions.
The description of the published versions does not aim at full bibliographical descriptions of the type available in the Source files. Its aim is to provide an overview of the editorial issues raised by the texts: accuracy, clarity of layout, etc.
The description of the unpublished versions focusses on the physical appearance of the manuscripts and typescripts (ink or pencil, top copy or carbon copy, etc.) and their relationship to one another. It also indicates what material has not been included in the edition (e.g., rough notes, incomplete manuscripts, non-authorial markings on typescripts).