I. INTRODUCTION 13
1) TO THE ANXIOUS READER 15
2) QUOTED TEXTS 16
3) "A SIMULTANEOUS ORDER" 17
4) TO ALL THE BIG AND LITTLE BOYS 19
5) THE BRICKLAYER 24
6) COULD I TROUBLE YOU FOR A LIGHT? 26
7) MY DECISION TO EXCLUDE HIP-HOP 27
8) "THE VAIN SEARCH" 31
9) EDEN 32
10) ARTIST STATEMENT 34
11) THE ILLUSION OF DIFFICULTY 37
II. THE HEAVY LIFTING 39
12) PROSODY 41
13) ADDENDUM: ON DACTYLS 47
14) THE PROPER REGARD FOR THE PAST 48
15) FORM 51
16) (FORM, CONTINUED) ADAM HURT'S GOURD BANJO 53
17) (FORM, CONTINUED) BODY AND SOUL: FORM AND CONTENT 55
18) FORMALITY 56
19) "OFT CRUEL FIGHTS WELL PICTURED FORTH DO PLEASE" 63
20) "CRÆFT" 68
21) "MATERIALS FOR AN ART" 70
22) THE POINT OF POINTLESSNESS 71
23) THE DECLINE OF POETRY'S RESPECTABILITY 74
24) THREE ADDITIONAL QUOTES ON THE
HAZARDS OF KNOWING 94
25) (THE DECLINE OF POETRY'S RESPECTABILITY, CONTINUED) ACADEMIC SOPHISTICATION 95
26) (THE DECLINE OF POETRY'S RESPECTABILITY, CONTINUED) NAUGHTY BOY 96
27) AUTHENTICITY 97
28) SHLOMO CARLEBACH AND A.E. HOUSMAN 101
29) POWER 110
30) THE POWER OF RHYME 112
31) THE POWER OF WIT 118
32) AN ADDENDUM ON WIT 124
33) THE POWER OF TRUTH 129
34) ELABORATION 136
35) LOVE POEMS 144
36) (LOVE POEMS, CONTINUED) A LYRIC BY CAMPION 148
37) (LOVE POEMS, CONTINUED) NEED 153
38) (LOVE POEMS, CONTINUED) QUICHE 156
39) (LOVE POEMS, CONTINUED) "RUDE AM I IN MY SPEECH" 158
40) RHYMING DICTIONARIES 163
41) CHEATING 170
42) THE COMMONPLACE BOOK 172
43) POETRY AS PROCESS AND PRODUCT 181
44) END-STOP AND ENJAMBMENT 184
45) "BEAD-BROWN EYES" 187
46) AFTER SAPPHO 190
47) DEFERRAL 192
48) THREE RHETORICAL TEMPLATES FROM FULKE GREVILLE 194
49) IMPOSSIBLE THINGS 199
50) YOU CAN DO BETTER, THOMAS 202
51) INVERSION 204
52) A GAME OF CHICKEN 207
53) FEELING AND TECHNIQUE 213
54) JEWS, DOGS, AND FLAMES 229
55) PARADOX 232
56) SPECIFICITY 238
57) (SPECIFICITY, CONTINUED) "FOR ON HIS VISAGE WAS IN LITTLE DRAWN" 249
58) (SPECIFICITY, CONTINUED) TECHNIQUE OFFERS ITS OWN SPECIFICITY 250
III. CONCLUSION 253
59) IT IS AGAINST THIS WHICH WE ARE FIGHTING 255
60) I'LL MEET YOU THERE 257
61) "UPON A REVEALED PARADISE" 258
62) THERE'S NOTHING STRANGE ABOUT AN AFTERLIFE 259
63) NOISE OF TEARING 260
TEMPLATES 265
ANTHOLOGY 285
CODA 367
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 368
