This concise companion introduces students to the most important poetic figures, movements, contexts, and trends in post-war British and Irish poetry, providing a much-needed reference point in a sprawling and often contentious field.

This volume introduces students to the most important figures, movements and trends in post-war British and Irish poetry. * An historical overview and critical introduction to the poetry published in Britain and Ireland over the last half-century * Introduces students to figures including Philip Larkin, Ted Hughes, Seamus Heaney, and Andrew Motion * Takes an integrative approach, emphasizing the complex negotiations between the British and Irish poetic traditions, and pulling together competing tendencies and positions * Written by critics from Britain, Ireland, and the United States * Includes suggestions for further reading and a chronology, detailing the most important writers, volumes and events