Merwin's poetry has been almost universally praised by critics since the start of his career, with the publication of his first book in 1952, A Mask for Janus. Then, he was recognized as a master of the traditional forms, showing the influence of the poet Robert Graves (whom he worked for, tutoring Graves's children) and of the medieval poetry that he was translating for a living. It has always been considered one of Merwin's graces not to stay confined to any particular style, however. As Edward J. Brunner put it in 1991, he "appears to have no style at all, or to take on whatever style suites the moment." For Brunner, this "transparency" is what makes Merwin's poetry effective, although he does think that changing so often made the poet "underestimated by reviewers: they have perennially lagged one book behind him, expecting the latest volume to continue the...