Now available for the first time as a three-volume set, The New Anthology of American Poetry offers the most compelling and wide-ranging selection of poems from the nation’s beginnings to the present day. Extensive introductions, notes, and footnotes make the great poems of each period fully accessible for the first time.

Each anthology invites readers into a diverse world of poetry and culture. Some of the poems are deeply personal, some explore the mystery of otherness, and some concentrate on the enigmas and beauty of poetry itself. The words are rich, contradictory, and challenging. The poets grapple with life and language, striving to say something about themselves and the world we share. Their works reflect the nation’s dizzying cultural changes and provide timeless insights.