Rhyme's Reason: A Guide to English Verse

In this classic text, the distinguished poet and critic John Hollander surveys the schemes, patterns, and forms of English verse, illustrating each variation with an original and witty self-descriptive example. This substantially expanded and revised edition includes a section of examples taken from centuries of poetry that exhibit the schemes and patterns he has described.

John Reardon

Marvelously comprehensive, clarifying and useful, [and] . . . also a delight to read.

A pre-eminent American poet, John Hollander has written over sixteen volumes of poetry. He has also published several works of literary criticism and has edited numerous anthologies, including the Oxford Anthology of English Literature. His many honors include the Bollingen Prize, the Levinson Prize, and a MacArthur Fellowship. Rhyme's Reason won the Mina P. Shaughnessy Award from the Modern Language Association when it was first published. John Hollander is currently Sterling Professor of English at Yale University.