An unpublished poem written by Robert Frost was recently discovered in the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library by English graduate student Robert Stilling.
Stilling stumbled upon the poem, written by Frost in 1918, while looking for summer research projects.
After discussing possible topics with English Prof. Stephen Cushman, Stilling was advised to delve into a new collection of Frost's works at the Special Collections Library.
While looking at the collection, Stilling said he came across a manuscript containing what appeared to be a piece by Frost never before published.
"It's hard to know what you're looking at," Stilling said of first coming upon the manuscript.
After extensive time and research, the poem was authenticated as a Frost original.
"It was pretty clear," Stilling said. "It's his [Frost's] handwriting and he signed it himself."
The poem appears to contain a tribute to Edward Thomas, a friend of Frost who was a casualty of World War I.
According to Christian Dupont, director of the Special Collections Library, the library was unaware of the poem existing within the manuscript.
Dupont added that the poem is now on display in the Harrison Small Library.
The poem will also be published in the October issue of the Virginia Quarterly Review.
Ted Genoways, editor of the Virginia Quarterly Review, said the poem will be accompanied by two essays. The first will be a "philosophical and expansive" view of Frost's works by Glyn Maxwell, poetry editor of The New Republic and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
The other article will be one by Stilling discussing the poem itself and his interpretations of the piece.
In addition to the exhibit, a reading of the two essays in the Virginia Quarterly Review will be conducted Oct. 20 at the Mary and David Harrison Institute for American History.
Within his article and presentation, Stilling plans to address that the content of the poem is not directly about Edward Thomas.
"I'll be talking a little bit about Frost's relationships with other poets," Stilling said.
According to Dupont, the poem has become available to the public through a new exhibit revealed yesterday. There will be another exhibit of Frost's works starting Oct. 19.
--Whitney Gruenloh contributed to this article.
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