POEMS.

New York: Bartlett and Welford, 1844. A fine early twentieth-century binding SIGNED BY STIKEMAN. Marbled endpapers. Top edge gilt. Covers bordered in two gilt fillets. Spine in six panels with raised bands. Lettering and elaborate floral panel designs in gilt. Inner dentelles. Sewn-in blue silk page marker. A clean, crisp copy throughout. This first collected edition of Moore's poems, published at the request of his children, contains the first book appearance of his poem, "A Visit From St. Nicholas" ("Twas The Night Before Christmas") in a collection of his own work. This rare first edition is a PRESENTATION COPY, inscribed by Moore on the half-title page, "The Rev. Dr. Barry, with the respects of the author, Mar. 1846". Moore, a professor of Hebrew, wrote this poem in 1822 as a Christmas gift for his children. A house guest copied it in the fall of 1823, and later sent her copy to the editor of the Troy (NY) Sentinel, where it was first published anonymously, December 23, 1823. It first appeared between covers in the New Brunswick, (N.J.) Almanack for 1825 and was picked up by Readers and Anthologies such as "The New York Book of Poetry, 1837. The authorship was first disclosed in the Troy Budget, December 25, 1838. "The Santa Claus myth begins about 300 A.D. with St. Nicholas, a bishop in Asia Minor, who was generous to the poor-in all seasons. Santa Claus as we (and the world, for that matter) now know him is almost one hundred percent American. Not until St. Nicholas passed through the crucible of Doctor Clement Clarke Moore's mind and imagination did the patron saint of childhood ever ride in a sleigh, or have eight tiny reindeer with bells joyfully to convey him...on Christmas eve; nor was he dressed in furs, nor did he smoke a pipe, nor did he ever before get into homes of good little girls and boys by going down chimneys, nor did he ever have a little round belly".(See Grolier, "One Hundred Influencial American Books Before 1900, #52). Also note citations in BAL 14348 and Johnson, "High Spots of American Literature pp.59-60. 216pp. "A Visit..." is found on pp.124-127.. First Edition.. Full Dark Blue Crushed Morocco. Minor Wear.. Square Octavo.