Thom Gunn's Collected Poems appeared in 1994 to critical acclaim. Compiling the highlights of a prolific thirty-five-year career, the volume is essential to those seeking a fuller understanding of Gunn's work: his points of departure, the evolution of his style, and the consistent, yet evolving presence of metrical and rhythmic forms. The collection includes a generous sampling from Gunn's major volumes and displays his inventiveness, shimmering diction, and democratic range of subjects.

In addition to his poetry, Thom Gunn enjoys a burgeoning reputation as a literary critic. His collection of essays, The Occasions of Poetry, reissued in 1999, offers insightful critical assessment of some of his greatest influences, from William Carlos Williams and Gary Snyder to Thomas Hardy and Robert Duncan. Also included are five autobiographical essays, which offer a firsthand account of Gunn's development as a poet and chart his reactions...