Critical Survey of Poetry

Gr 9 Up—The writing in these attractive, intelligent works is engaging and informative, presenting an abundance of critical and contextual insights. In the books on poets, the 4- to 18-page entries begin with a brief overview of the subject's importance, then provide a short biography followed by an analysis of the poet's work. One of the wonders of the set is the "Resources" section found in volume two of Topical Essays, which offers a near-classic lesson in explication by Walton Beecham along with a piece on linguistics and a wonderful glossary of poetical terms. As reference tools, these books are informative and engaging, and some of the topical essays are not only illuminating, but inspiring. Online access to the ebook versions of the titles is purchased in conjunction with the print material. In recent months, Salem has improved its indexing of the database, and searches for titles and keywords now work much more smoothly. Though the scope of these books pales beside the vast expanses of Gale's Literature Resource Center and EBSCO's Literary Reference Center, which offer similar material, readers who prefer a print work will find these volumes of great value.—Herman Sutter, St. Agnes Academy, Houston, TX