Helen Vendler, a professor of English at Harvard, comments eloquently on modern American, Irish, and British poets in this collection of critical essays. Seamus Heaney, Allen Ginsberg, Rita Dove, Jorie Graham, Gary Snyder, and others are discussed in prose that rings with insight and clarity. A serious look at serious poets, this collection is thankfully never solemn or stuffy. In her essays, Vendler often provides helpful background information about the various poets she discusses, and this collection can stand as a valuable introduction to some very good writers. Best of all, she knows what she wants to say and she says it well.

Harvard University professor Vendler has written extensively on poetry. In this collection of 21 short essays, she discusses the lyric poetry of 23 contemporary poets, mostly American, including Allen Ginsberg, Rita Dove, James Merrill, and Dave Smith, giving particular attention to Seamus Heaney and Jorie Graham. In analyzing individual poems, Vendler describes the stylistic choices the poet made and how the completed poem reveals the inner self, or "soul," of the poet. Though her biographical readings may not suit all readers, anyone interested in contemporary poetry can learn from her insights. People new to poetry will especially appreciate her lucid discussions, which are unencumbered by academic jargon. All but two essays were previously published, ten in The New Yorker, between 1987 and 1994. Recommended for academic and large public libraries.