This collection investigates how twentieth-century poets articulated their own creative processes and defined the evolving role of verse in a modernizing world. The editors, Aaron Fogel, Daria Donnelly, and Robert L. Caserio, compile a diverse array of primary source essays and manifestos to examine the intersection of poetic theory and practice. By curating these reflections, the authors provide a framework for understanding the aesthetic shifts and intellectual concerns that shaped the century's poetic output.

Scholars and students of literature frequently cite this volume as a vital resource for accessing the primary theoretical writings of major poets. The text is noted for its academic rigor and its ability to synthesize complex aesthetic arguments into a coherent historical overview.