This list of prominent poets in this volume reminds us that for most of the nineteenth century, American literature was the literature of New England. Poe and Lanier represent the South; Whitman, Crane, and Melville New York. Bryant, Emerson, Thoreau, Holmes, Whittier, Lowell, Longfellow, and Dickinson were citizens of New England (as were the lesser known Tuckerman and Very). Dunbar is the lone midwesterner. As a group, they were highly conscious of a shared responsiblility: the building of a national literature. The purpose of this book is to help the student of nineteenth-century American poetry locate those secondary materials needed for course work, background reading, research, and independent study. The first section is devoted to general treatments of nineteenth century American poetry; this is followed by sections on individual authors (in sequence according to birth). Ideal for high school and undergraduate students, and a good starting point for the more specialized needs of advanced English majors, graduate students and professional scholars.