This volume presents the complete correspondence between celebrated American poets Duncan and Levertov, which began in 1953 and ended in 1985 with Duncan's death. Editors Bertholf (curator, Poetry/ Rare Book Collection, SUNY at Buffalo) and Gelpi (William Robertson Coe Professor of American Literature, emeritus, Stanford Univ.) divide the 500 letters into four chronological groupings and provide meticulous ancillaries, which include notes, a glossary, an appendix, and a time line of the friendship; Gelpi also provides a first-rate introduction. As both poets explore the mythopoetic power of the imagination, their correspondence lays open the metaphysics of the visionary process, and they write back and forth about the mystery of this experience. Later, the discussion moves to external realities and their shared opposition to the Vietnam War. Unfortunately, their original impulse-to see their distinctive orientations as complementary-gives way to contentions over their didactic responses to the war, and shared wonder is not enough to sustain the friendship. In the end, it would seem, poetry could make no claims on absolutes, and the big ideas that brought these poets together bring their friendship to naught. A big book for those looking for insight into the nature of poetry, particularly in the last half of the war-riddled 20th century.-Scott Hightower, Fordham Univ., NY Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.