The Cambridge Introduction to American Poetry since 1945

Designed for students, scholars, poets, and general readers, this book provides a useful guide for anyone interested in contemporary American poetry. By offering close readings of exemplary poems in relation to historical and political contexts, this book gives readers the background and tools necessary to understand post-1945 American poetry.

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Contemporary American poetry can often seem intimidating and daunting in its variety and complexity. This engaging and accessible book provides the first comprehensive introduction to the rich body of American poetry that has flourished since 1945 and offers a useful map to its current landscape. By exploring the major poets, movements, and landmark poems at the heart of this era, this book presents a compelling new version of the history of American poetry that takes into account its variety and breadth, its recent evolution in the new millennium, its ever-increasing diversity, and its ongoing engagement with politics and culture. Combining illuminating close readings of a wide range of representative poems with detailed discussion of historical, political, and aesthetic contexts, this book examines how poets have tirelessly invented new forms and styles to respond to the complex realities of American life and culture.