801 - VALÉRY, Paul (1871–1945). Signed autograph letter. No place, [May 15, 1928, according to a note]. 2 pp., in-8. NRF letterhead. File holes. A small tear, but undamaged.

VALÉRY, Paul (1871–1945). Signed autograph letter. No place, [May 15, 1928, according to a note]. 2 pp., in-8. NRF letterhead. File holes. A small tear, but undamaged. Advice to a poet: “Upon returning from my trip, I found your manuscript waiting for me. It wasn’t the only one. Rarely a day goes by without verses being brought to me. The poets who send me their works all ask me to present them to the public. I have done so for a few, but now it is impossible to keep up with everything that is demanded of me. I am currently finishing the last prefaces I promised, for neither my health nor my own work can any longer accommodate this extra burden. You must excuse me and sympathize with me. I would not wish anyone to be harassed and troubled as I am. Your verses are graceful and reveal the poet’s essential sensibility, which is a musical sensibility. I would like to offer you this advice: if you were to revise your volume, select only the very best pieces, and include only those of the same tone and quality, for a book of poetry must convey a sense of unity—the clearer and stronger, the better […].”