Exploring the Winding Paths of Poems: Drafts by Literary Icons

Delve into the enchanting world of making poems as we unravel the messy, beautiful drafts of famous writers. These glimpses into their early works not only reveal the evolution of poems but also grant us a permission slip to embrace our idiosyncratic writing processes.

1. "Black Steel" by Gwendolyn Brooks

• Handwritten in black ink, Brooks' draft bears smaller notes in blue and red ink.
• Cross-outs and annotations adorn the page, signed and dated by Brooks in 1971.
• A testament to the transformation of a commissioned poem.

Read more about the occasion for which she was commissioned to write this poem. Find a published version of the poem on this broadside held by University of Delaware.

 Source: Rare Book and Manuscript Library, University of Illinois

2. "Stings" by Sylvia Plath

• Plath's draft, inked on pink memorandum paper, showcases her meticulous revisions.
• Dated October 6, 1962, this draft offers a glimpse into Plath's creative process.

Source: The Sylvia Plath Collection at Smith College

3. "The mushroom is the elf of plants" by Emily Dickinson

Dickinson's unique style shines in this draft on a manila envelope.
Numbered "416," she pens the lines diagonally, creating a visually intriguing draft.

Here is a published version of the poem.

Source: Emily Dickinson Collection at Amherst College Archives

4. "Charles On Fire" by James Merrill

• A typewritten draft on yellowed paper, stained by liquid spills, with Merrill's handwritten notes.
• Untitled and stained, this draft bears the marks of Merrill's creative journey.

Here's a published version of the poem. You might also be interested in the James Merrill Digital Archive from the Department of Special Collections at Washington University in St. Louis.

Source: Random House Knopf

5. "One Way Ticket" by Langston Hughes

• Hughes' handwritten draft on lined paper reveals his expressive cursive.
• The poem unfolds on small pages torn from a spiral binding, capturing Hughes' creative flow.

Here is a published version of this poem and audio of Hughes reading the poem.

Source: Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University

6. Section from At the Time of Partition by Moniza Alvi

• Alvi's hand-written manuscript on lined paper reflects a process of revisions.
• Blue ink introduces the poem, while black ink adds layers of commentary.

Here is the published version of what became a long poem in 20 sections.

Source: Special Collections and Archives, Newcastle University

7. "Tender Buttons" by Gertrude Stein

• Stein's handwritten notes, divided into columns, provide a unique insight into her composition.
• Checkmarks and crossed-out sections adorn the page, highlighting Stein's meticulous approach.

Here is more information about "The making of 'Tender Buttons'" (Jacket2).

Source: Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University Library

8. "Things I'll Not Do (Nostalgias)" by Allen Ginsberg

• Ginsberg's last poem, dated March 30, 1997, showcases extensive revisions and annotations.
• Written just days before his death, this draft captures Ginsberg's urgency and creativity.

Source: The Allen Ginsberg Project

9. "Three Seasons" by Christina Georgia Rossetti

• Rossetti's cursive draft exhibits a slant, signed as "Ch. Rossetti" in the bottom right corner.
• The bleed-through of ink on the reverse side adds a layer of complexity to this archival object.

Source: Harry Ransom Center, The University of Texas at Austin

10. "It is the Turquoise" by Juan Felipe Herrera

• A photo captures Herrera holding the handwritten draft in green ink.
• Non-textual marks and the poet's engagement with the page make this draft a visual delight.

Here is a very fun write-up on the origin of this particular poem, with a transcription of the text.

Source: KQED

Conclusion: The Making of a Literary Archive

Explore the intricacies of literary archives, where more than printed materials find a home. From photographs to multimedia and realia, archives offer a magical connection across space and time.

After I completed my MFA in poetry, I decided to earn a graduate degree in Library and Information Studies. I was fascinated by the processes to acquire, inventory, describe, preserve, and make findable the wide array of what could arrive in a literary archival box.

One of the most exciting projects I got to support while working at Memorial Library at University of Wisconsin-Madison, under the mentorship of Literary Collections Curator Susan Barribeau: the acquisition of the Woodland Pattern Book Center Archives. Pictured here is a commemorative broadside made by Tracy Honn of Silver Buckle Press. Source: UW-Madison Libraries.

Literary archives house not only printed and published materials, but also the most intimate stuff that can accumulate in the paper piles of a writer's life: photographs, artwork, school papers, receipts, letters, reviews, personal and financial papers.

A grocery list written in a small spiral notebook by Gwendolyn Brooks, dated "Saturday, August 4, 1979." The first item is Brewer's yeast. Source: University of Illinois

To me, it's magical that we could look back at other papers from the same time period in Brooks' archives, and know what was on her grocery list that week. 

And then there's the notebooks. The notebook binds together a grouping of pages for one reason or another. It's intimate. Idiosyncratic. It houses to-do lists, scraps of ideas, worries and aspirations, alongside drafts taking shape. It feels like being right there with the writer... because the notebook was right there with them.

Keeping a Notebook

As we prepare for the Spellworks course, "Keeping a Notebook," we invite you to join the waitlist. A writer's archive doesn't happen in one day; it's a trace of a writing life, lined with messy, gorgeous drafts becoming poems. Discover the transformative power of keeping a notebook—a practice that's intimate, idiosyncratic, and never too late to start.