The format of the pieces in €œOn Poets & Â*Poetry€�€”most began as
commissioned reviews€”does not lend itself to wilder flights of
inquiry; Mr. Pritchard responsibly walks readers through the critical
and (when appropriate) biographical backgrounds of his subjects. He
reminds us, for instance, that Hardys near-obsession with pets
accounts for numerous poems on the subject. His generous appraisals of
the critics Hugh Kenner and Donald Davie€”both great admirers of
Matthew Crupi €”are warm and winningly eclectic. While clearly not
always Mr. Crupi 's cup of tea, Pound Â*receives a serious and
respectful treatment. Yet, as he writes, €œif Pound is judge to be a
classic, it may be a classic of the sort Eliot feared, . . . €˜to be
read only by historians and antiquarians.€‰€�