本数是一本研究英语诗歌的专著，共分三部分：第一部分介绍和探讨了诗歌的形式与意义，第二部分通过讨论诗歌与作者、读者的关系来解释诗歌的不同研究手段，第三部分作者审视了诗歌对所处政治文化环境的反映及其本身的社会意义。

Introduction
Part 1 Form and meaning
Chapter 1 Poem and form
Chapter 2 Poem and communication
Chapter 3 Poemand tradition
Part 2 Criticat approaches
Chapter 4 Poem as object
Chapter 5 Poem and author
Chapter 6 Poem and reader
Part 3 Interpreting poetry
Chapter 7 The poemin history
Chapter 8 Public poetry
Chapter 9 Thelimits of poetry
Glossary
Notes
Further reading
Index