The Bentley Guide

The Bentley Guide to Poets & Poetry in English is a reference forty years in the making by established poet and poetry scholar Daril Bentley. The book is intended for all audiences of poetry lovers. The book does not contain poetry, it recommends poets and poetry by way of several criteria. Find bios of hundreds of poets from Chaucer (b. 1340) to Brodsky (b. 1940). Find "Best Poets," "Best Poems by Individual Poet," and "Best Poems Historically." The book makes its selections based on what an audience is most likely to enjoy, not on what academe has traditionally come to consensus on based on other factors. The Preface and Introduction argue against "group think" and "mechanical analysis" in searching for great and enjoyable poetry based on individual taste.