This work serves as a comprehensive bibliographic tool designed to locate and identify English poetry written between 1500 and 1800 by indexing the first lines found within the Bodleian Library's manuscript collections. Margaret Crum, a noted scholar and archivist, compiled this multi-volume reference to provide researchers with a systematic method for navigating the vast, often uncatalogued, poetic holdings of the Bodleian. By organizing these manuscripts through their opening lines, the text bridges the gap between disparate archival materials and accessible literary study.

Scholars and librarians frequently cite this work as a foundational reference for the study of early modern English manuscripts. The text is recognized for its high degree of academic density and its essential role in the archival research of the Bodleian Library's specific collections.