Christine Froula’s Guide to Ezra Pound’s Selected Poems provides a general introduction to the work of the man who has been called the inventor of modern poetry in English. No poet of Pound’s generation did more than he to renew the poetic line and expand the possibilities of open form, or had a finer ear for the language. Among the modernists, no one recognized more quickly or promoted more generously the work of other artists, engaged more fully the issues of the time, or believed more strongly in the social importance of the arts. Yet Pound’s poetry often seems formidably obscure to new readers. Professor Froula’s Guide eases the difficulties which they are likely to encounter, not only by explaining textual allusions but also by discussing the poems in the context of the poet’s life and times. The Selected Poems, a compact yet representative gathering of Pound’s poems and translations, including a generous sampling of The Cantos, has gone through eighteen printings since its first publication in 1957, introducing thousands of readers to the poet. Professor Froula’s Guide is keyed directly to that volume, commenting on every poem and giving line-by-line explication where necessary. Here, in short, is a map of the poetic terrain explored by one of the most remarkable, challenging, and rewarding writers––il miglior fabbro––of our century.