About the Author

About the Editor:
The author of several books of poetry, Ian Hamilton is also a well-known biographer whose subjects have included Robert Lowell and J. D. Salinger. Keepers of the Flame, a collection of his literary criticism, was published in 1992

Reviews

A collection which contains many excellent essays ... This volume serves a very good purpose. Stephen Spender, The Times It holds out endless delightful knowledge to all poetry readers. Valentine Cunningham, Observer

More accurately described as a companion to poets than a companion to poetry- though it does include such entries as ``deep image,'' ``Georgian poetry,'' and ``The Hudson Review''-this reference focuses on some 1500 20th-century poets from all around the world who write in English. Edited by poet/biographer Hamilton, the work offers signed entries by poet-critics, including brief biographical sketches, overviews of themes, commentaries on style, general critical evaluations, and brief primary and secondary bibliographies. The articles are objective yet sympathetic to each poet's intent, with no particular critical perspective obscuring the issue. This companion has twice the number of entries as Contemporary Poets (St. James, 1991. 5th ed.) but provides less information, far fewer quotations, and shorter bibliographies. Both works are excellent, and both belong in libraries with comprehensive poetry collections. Other libraries may have to decide whether scope or depth is more important.-Peter Dollard, Alma Coll. Lib., Mich.