The Boston Globe

Books

Boston.com

Best poetry books of 2011

  December 18, 2011

A good epic poem is hard to come by these days, and it’s not just due to our kitten-like attention spans that there aren’t more of them out there. The real challenge awaiting any would-be contemporary American epic poet is the impossible multiplicity of our history - how to tell our story without leaving everyone out. Twenty years in the making, Kevin Young’s “Ardency’’, rises fearlessly to the challenge of historical poetry, in both the breadth of its scope and the intimacy of its materials.

Thank you for reading BostonGlobe.com. You have reached the monthly limit for free articles — to continue reading, get unlimited access to BostonGlobe.com now for just 99¢ for 8 weeks.

Unlimited access to BostonGlobe.com includes:

  • The FULL story all day: Enjoy all of the high-quality, in-depth journalism in the print edition of the Boston Globe — plus breaking news that's updated 24/7.
  • A truly reader-friendly format: It's online news that looks and reads just like the newspaper — uncluttered, uninterrupted.
  • Breakthrough technology: The responsive design automatically adapts content so it always reads perfectly on the digital device of your choice.
GET STARTED TODAY

Free access for home delivery subscribers.

Just need to link your home delivery account; one easy step.

Link my home delivery account

Contact us for help