INTRODUCTION


This is a book of, and about, poems and about the men and 
women who wrote them. It is confined to "poignant" poems
because these, in my opinion, are the most concentrated and 
consequently the most effective of all writing.
Although written about poets, it in no sense is written for 
poets, real or fancied, recognized or obscure, except as they 
constitute a part of the reading public. There is a distinction I
make: while the number of those who write verses or rhymes is
legion, those who write poetry are all too few. Equally important,
all wrote verses before they wrote poetry.
In recent years the study of poetry has declined in proportion
as the study of science has advanced. Probably this is the saddest
result of the impetus given to the pursuit of science by the 
splitting of the atom. Yet poetry is far too important in the cul-
tural progress of mankind for society to permit it to continue
to decline or regress. The situation suggests this paraphrase of
scripture: What shall it profit man if he succeeds in making a
beaten path to the moon and planets, if he sacrifices his cultural
and spiritual soul in the process?
This book, then, is primarily a protest against the current
neglect of poetry by the general public, and in particular by
those who teach the young.
There is something in the nature of poetry which is the very 
antithesis of evil.
           Good poems are never written by evil men;
           Indeed, my friend, have any ever been?

I have searched in vain for an example of poetry written by some
notorious criminal. Perhaps the decline in our poetic study and