Poetry Dictionary

John Drury's Poetry Dictionary is no dreary list of defined terms to cram for your poetry final. It's a work of art in itself, written in Drury's engagingly lucid prose, liberally spiced with examples from the world's best poets. Curious about sequence? Drury gives a clear definition of the term, followed by Katha Pollitt's "Vegetable Poems" in sequence 1-5. Forgotten the rules of the villanelle? Drury explains the form, gives a little historic background, and presents examples by Jean Passerat, Edwin Arlington Robinson, Dylan Thomas, Weldon Kees, and James Cummins. Never has a poetry dictionary been so browsable, so erudite, and so engaging. --Stephanie Gold