This brief, inexpensive, and portable anthology features more than 250 poems, presenting a diverse body of work ranging from William Shakespeare and John Donne to Cathy Song and Sherman Alexie. Chronologically organized within each genre, the diverse selection of poems covers the full scope of the poetic tradition from popular ballads to works by poets born in the 60s and 70s. An " Introduction to Poetry" offers instruction for reading and analyzing poetry, defining key terms in the context of the discussion. Biographical headnotes highlight common themes and ideas in the author's body of work. Individuals who want a brief overview of the study of poetry.