Profiles major poets throughout history and the world, including analyses of their significant individual poems or collections. Discusses influential war poets such as Chinua Achebe, John Balaban, Christopher Logue, Wilfred Owen, and Edward Thomas.

"Things Fall Apart", set in Nigeria about a century ago, is widely regarded as Chinua Achebe's masterpiece. Considered one of the most broadly read African novels, Achebe's work responded to the two-dimensional caricatures of Africans that often dominated Western literature. This invaluable new edition of the study guide contains a selection of the finest contemporary criticism of this classic novel.