Since Eliot was himself a member of the firm which published his poetry in England, from Poems 1909–1925, one might reasonably expect that the Faber text would be authoritatively established, and correctly printed. Up to now that expectation has been disappointed. There is evidence to suggest that Eliot did attempt to establish ‘the definitive edition’ of his poetry up to Burnt Norton in Collected Poems 1909–1935, and then of the whole of his poetry in Collected Poems 1909–1962. These are the most nearly authoritative editions that we have. Yet confidence in them is shaken by some obvious errors and some dubious readings; by the rather random and half-hearted fashion in which earlier errors have been corrected and persistent sources of error removed; and by the fact that besides the emendations and revisions which are probably Eliot's own latter thoughts, there are certain other changes which he called for but which have never been made. Thus even the best text, that of Collected Poems 1909–1962, remains in need of a certain amount of correction, and is somewhat open to question – or even, in a few places, to serious doubt. There have been two further English editions since Eliot's death. The Complete Poems and Plays, first published in 1969, is a convenient, indeed a necessary collection, which I should expect to be bought, used and valued by the common reader as well as the student.