Contents: Preface. 1. Geoffrey Chaucer's Art of Poetry. 2. Criticism of Chaucer's prologue. 3. Narrative art and humour. 4. John Donne--a lyrical poet. 5. Modernity and metaphysical elements. 6. Religion and satire in poetry. 7. John Milton's Poetry. 8. Paradise Lost: An epic poem. 9. Poetry of Alexander Pope. 10. Art and Artiface in poetry. Index.

"Chaucer is the poet who is a bridge between the dark ages and the light ages of the Renaissance and modernity. He voices in his poetry all those problems which haunt the modern society--the problem of corruption and the ways of the world. It is with Chaucer that there comes an end of the old period and the great literature of the modern England begins. He becomes the herald of the new time. In going through The Prologue to the Canterbury Tales we come across a group of characters that are present in modern society.

Poetry, according to Pope, should be clear and lucid, and should be free from vagueness, obscurity and looseness. This is the first feature of Pope's poetry. The second feature of his poetry, and of all good poetry, according to Pope, is conformity to the rules of the ancients." (jacket)