The Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics: Fourth Edition Paperback – August 26, 2012

I got the 1972 PEPP as a high school student (and self-imposed "poet"). I was cured of being a poet by time, but reading through PEPP like an evergreen sampler plate made me educated in prosody, forms, theories of poetry, the history of genres, national literatures, and more. When I went to college, my professors kept asking which expensive prep school I had gone to, because no one came as well prepared as I was. The NPEPP was not quite as inspiring, but this edition is thrilling. Get it. Open it and start grazing. This is not a book as much as it is a field to wander in for years. It works as traditional reference -- answering questions on specific lemma -- but it also works as a delightful resource.

I don't think this book was meant to be read cover to cover. If it is, the reader better start reading at an early age because there are over 1,000 pages and print is small. However, the book is an excellent reference and provides data that other similar books do not cover. It is a worthy investment.

This vital work for poets, critics of poetry, and literature specialists receives a hearty update making it even more relevant for users. No serious poet or student of poetry and literature can live without it. It is a necessary reference.

I have a bad back so the Kindle is best for me. Plan on using it for advanced poetry class this spring. Do not yet understand the complaints. Harder to move around? Yes. But the index is just fine. Does the 4th edition match the 2nd or 3rd? Check back with me soon.

A very comprehensive reference on poetry. A budding poet should not live without a copy of this work of more than four decades.

Every poet and playwright must own this book. It is a great resource for MFA writing students as well.

A great reference tool

I recently bought the Kindle Version, and although I love this book as a reference guide the publisher did not include indexing which does not allow a reader to search making it almost impossible and very time consuming to hunt down a term or entry. If you are considering buying the kindle version I would highly recommend purchasing the paperback version as it will be much easier to peruse the entries.