While Professor Stanley Fish argues the lack of relative worth of the Humanities over at the NYTIMES, I thought I would visit a few of my local, online rare books websites to gauge the fair market value of Poetry (Ruth Lilly, notwithstanding), that is, how much hard cash do works of poetry command in the dangerous, clandestine world of literary intrigue, secular humanism, and covert antiquarian operations.

Wallace Stevens's art collection and furniture has the distinction of being the most expensive purchase at abebooks.com at a whopping $1.7 million dollars, which itself is followed by Petrarch's 15th century opera at $400K.

While the below represents a personal wish list, if anyone wants to send me an early birthday gift . . . .

1. WALLACE STEVENS PERSONAL ART COLLECTION (Sold Only As a Group)
Bookseller: Elliot's Books (Northford, CT, U.S.A.)
Price: $ 1,725,000

2. THE COLOSSUS. POEMS. PLATH, SYLVIA. London Heinemann (1960),
Bookseller: James S. Jaffe Rare Books, A.B.A.A. (New York, NY)
Price: $ 65,000

Inscribed by Plath to the poet Theodore Roethke on the front free endpaper: "For Theodore Roethke with much love and immense admiration, Sylvia Plath, April 13, 1961".

3. LEAVES OF GRASS. POEMS. WHITMAN, WALT. Camden, 1889.
Bookseller: Bauman Rare Books (Philadelphia, PA)
Price: $15,500

Notes: This copy with gift inscription by Whitman’s devoted nurse on the frontispiece tissue guard: “From Warren Fritzinger. Walt Whitman’s nurse. Friday, June 19—1892. Phil Pa,” and an additional pencil inscription stating, “Walt gave it to him.”

4. SOUTH SIDE: CHICAGO (A MONTAGE). SIX POEMS BY LANGSTON HUGHES, DATED 1945.
Bookseller: Bauman Rare Books (Philadelphia, PA)
Price: $9,000

Notes: Rare typed manuscript containing early drafts of six poems by Hughes, 15 loose carbons with a title page entitled “South Side: Chicago (A Montage) that is warmly inscribed to Caribbean scholar Dr. Angel Rocabruna, “For A. Suarez Rocabruna, Sincerely, Langston Hughes, July, 1945,” featuring the poems “Summer Evening, Calumet Avenue,” “Migrant,” “Graduation,” “Third Degree,” Jitney” and “Interne at Provident.” $9000.

5. LE POETE ASSASSINÉ. PARIS, 1916. APOLLINAIRE, GUILLAUME. First edition, with original pictorial paper wrappers.
Bookseller: Bauman Rare Books (Philadelphia, PA)
Price: $8,500

Notes: Inscribed by Apollinaire: “A monsieur Pierre Piobb, Hommage distingué de son admirateur, Guillaume Apollinaire, Sous-lieutenant en traitement à l’hôpital du gouvernement et alien, 41 quai d’orsay, Paris.”

6. LAS UVAS Y EL VIENTO. NERUDA, PABLO. SANTIAGO, CHILE, 1954. First edition, boldly signed on the title page by Pablo Neruda in his characteristic green ink.
Bookseller: Bauman Rare Books (Philadelphia, PA)
Price: $4,000

7. POEM “TO MR. AND MRS. ******* ON THE DEATH OF THEIR INFANT SON.” WHEATLEY, Phillis. Boston, September 1784. First appearance of this important poem by the first published African-American poet, printed just three months before her death. Bookseller: Bauman Rare Books (Philadelphia, PA)
Price: $3,000

8. TYPED POEM SIGNED BY PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR, 1900.
Bookseller: Bauman Rare Books (Philadelphia, PA)
Price: $2,600

9. POEMS ON VARIOUS SUBJECTS, RELIGIOUS AND MORAL. WHEATLEY, PHILLIS. LONDON: A. BELL, BOOKSELLER, ALDGATE; AND SOLD BY MESSRS. COX AND BERRY, KING-STREET, BOSTON, 1773.
Bookseller: Printers Row Fine and Rare Books (Chicago, IL)
Price: $35,000

10. FIRST EDITION OF THIS SELECTION OF AKHMATOVA'S POEMS, THE FIRST POST-STALINIST EDITION OF HER VERSE. AKHMATOVA, ANNA.
Bookseller: James S. Jaffe Rare Books, A.B.A.A. (New York, NY)
Price: $35,000

Notes: Inscribed by Akhmatova to Boris Pasternak on the title-page: "Boris Pasternak - Anna Akhmatova, 3 May 1959, Moscow", and with a correction to one word ("divnoi" for "shedroi" in ink on p. 65) in Akhmatova's hand. Pasternak was in love with Akhmatova, on more than one occasion asking her to marry him - even while he was married to another woman. Pasternak would worry over Akhmatova in the most affecting manner, and came to her aid more than once during her most difficult and persecuted years.

11. A BOY'S WILL. FROST, ROBERT. LONDON DAVID NUTT 1913, 1913.
Bookseller: James S. Jaffe Rare Books, A.B.A.A. (New York, NY)
Price: $30,000

Notes: Inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper to "Eleanor Farjeon from Robert Frost."

12. THE BRIDGE. A POEM. WITH THREE PHOTOGRAPHS BY WALKER EVANS.
CRANE, HART. PARIS : THE BLACK SUN PRESS. 1930. FIRST EDITION
Bookseller: James Fenning, ABA (County Dublin, Ireland)
Price: $30,295

13. COLLECTED POEMS OF FRANK O'HARA NY, Knopf, `, 1972.
Bookseller: NUDEL BOOKS (New York, NY)
Price: S27,500

Notes: 3rd Edition, but INSCRIBED by Allen Ginsberg to Peter Orolovsky: "For Peter Orlovsky from Allen Ginsberg.years later.after O'hara's gone.Feb 4, 1977..437 E. 12th St.undeneath in a different hand "N.B.Borrowed indefinitely for research puroposes by Ted Berrigan March 1979.NYC".a book which links the three key figures in the post war New York Po scene.O'hara-Ginsberg-Berrigan.

13. COLLECTION OF 27 INCUNABULA IN ONE VOLUME (1462 ONWARDS). PETRARCA, FRANCESCO
Bookseller: Antiquarischer Lexikonhandel (Hamburg, HH, Germany)
Price: $400,784

Notes: 1st Edition. Folio. Collection of 27 incunabula in one volume. This volume probably is the first copy of Petrarca's "Opera" in the 15th century, containing most, if not all, of Petrarca's works in the earliest print known. Petrarca (1304-1374) is considered one of the founders of humanism and one of the greatest Italian poets.

14. HOOPS: POEMS. JACKSON, MAJOR. NEW YORK W. W. NORTON (2006)
Bookseller: Between the Covers-Rare Books, Inc. ABAA (Merchantville, NJ)
Price: S125

Notes: Uncorrected Proof. Wrappers. Very near fine. An uncommon issue of this collection of poetry. First edition.