Missing, from ["Notes of Woe"], is the kind of emotional directness found in the title poem of Tate's first collection, "The Lost Pilot." More in evidence is this young poet's great virtuosity. In consequence, the book is flawed. The desperation here (as reflected in the title, from Blake) is not always convincing: it has too much style. The reader is fascinated by what Tate can do with language, but the poems too often just remain on that level. Nevertheless, there is no lack of wit and brilliance, and some poems do everything; for example, "Camping in the Valley."… (pp. xciv, xcvi)

"Notes on Current Books: 'Notes of Woe'," in The Virginia Quarterly Review (copyright, 1969, by The Virginia Quarterly Review, The University of Virginia), Vol. 45, No. 2 (Spring, 1969), pp. xciv, xcvi.