I have just been fortunate to obtain a bound volume of
six issues of "The Idler" one of which includes the
poem "Primum Tempus", as well as "My First Book".
Just out of curiosity, does anyone know why RK, having
published "Primum Tempus" in "The Idler" of November
1892, then went on to publish a similar version of the
poem as "In The Neolithic Age" with the year given as
1895 in the Inclusive Edition 1885 - 1926 of his
Verse? There is an extra stanza in the Inclusive, as
well as several textual and punctuation changes (also
a typo correction from 'scull' to 'skull').
To further confuse the picture, I see that "In the
Neolithic Age" was collected in "The Seven Seas"
(1896). This version has the extra stanza but has a
mix of words from both of the above versions,
effectively creating a third!
In passing, there is a rathr nice neolithic
illustration by A.S. Boyd in "The Idler".
With best regards
David Page
Harrrow UK
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