Advancing from his first volume, The Farther Shore, which explored instances of discovery and rites of passage, Paul Kane's new collection of poems, Drowned Lands, describes a world flooded with memory and apprehension. This is poetry drawn from the everyday, even as it seeks the high ground of inspiration and eloquence. The result is a book of diverse forms and various subjects: there are meditative lyrics, as in "Time Was"; lively encounters, "An Old Flame in Savonarola's Cell"; poignant narratives, "In the Penal Colony"; satiric verses, "After Martial"; and visionary utterances, "The...

Advancing from his first volume, The Farther Shore, which explored instances of discovery and rites of passage, Paul Kane's new collection of poems, Drowned Lands, describes a world flooded with memory and apprehension. This is poetry drawn from the everyday, even as it seeks the high ground of inspiration and eloquence. The result is a book of diverse forms and various subjects: there are meditative lyrics, as in "Time Was"; lively encounters, "An Old Flame in Savonarola's Cell"; poignant narratives, "In the Penal Colony"; satiric verses, "After Martial"; and visionary utterances, "The...