Merwin is one of the great poets of our age. Los Angeles Times Book Review

Merwin has become instantly recognizable on the page; he has made for himself that most difficult of all creations, an accomplished style. Helen Vendler, New York Review of Books

It is gratifying to read poetry that is this ambitious, that cares about vision and the possibilities of poetry, by a poet who is capable of so much change. The Nation

Essential means just that: A deeply considered selection from W.S. Merwin s vast oeuvre that represents the poemsand a few...