This brief, affordable poetry collection features over 250 poems, and presents a diverse body of work ranging from William Shakespeare and John Milton to Rita Dove and Adrienne Rich. Wide range of selections (arranged chronologically) from the popular ballads to poets born in the 60's. "Writing About Poetry" section offers readers the most basic tips on organization, style, and MLA style citation. "An Anecdote: Where Poetry Starts" is a narrative account of a campus poetry reading with a discussion of poetry as oral performance art. "A Brief Note: Literary History and Poetic Conventions" a discussion of how schools of poetry have dominated during certain historical periods. Index of critical terms provides a cross-referenced list of terms covered. For anyone interested in poetry.