The New Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics

From abecedarius to zeugma, by way of cywydd, estribillo, Nibelungenstrophe, Tachtigers, and other poetic terms that sound like poetry, The New Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics is a gold mine for readers and writers of poetry alike. First published in 1965, this tome has evolved to reflect developments in critical thinking and an expanding knowledge of non-Western poetry (without, heaven forfend, being trendy: “a reference work,” the editors explain, “must always distance itself from its time while it works to embrace that time”). For this third edition, the editors write, nearly every entry has been changed significantly, and 162 entries have been added. The preface claims coverage of every poetic tradition in the world, and one doesn’t doubt it. There’s enough material here to keep one browsing well past Yeats’s “Second Coming.” If that’s not enough to quench your poetic thirst, fret not: a detailed bibliography concludes each entry.