This book investigates the evolution of American poetry in the post-modernist era by challenging the conventional narrative that poets of the 1950s rejected their modernist predecessors. James Longenbach, a scholar of American literature, utilizes close readings of mid-century and contemporary poets to argue that these writers actually extended and transformed modernist techniques rather than discarding them. His framework emphasizes continuity over rupture, providing a more complex understanding of how poetic traditions persist and evolve across generations.

Scholars and critics frequently cite this work as a vital intervention in the study of 20th-century American verse. The text is noted for its accessible yet rigorous approach to complex literary history, making it a standard reference for students and academics alike.