against oblivion

Should correct my claim that all the poets were dead. I've just read the bit about Weldon Kees, who could be anywhere.

Is Leonard Cohen in it? (If the answer to this one's no, then screw that for a laugh!)

No. Although I would imagine this is as much to do the fact that he's still going than anything else. I don't think the idea of the book is to list the best poets of the 20th century, it's more to use brief pieces on the lives of some significant poets to give the reader an overview of how poetry developed over that time. It's well worth a read.

But if it covers the whole of the 20th century, then surely it will mainly center around modernism and postmodernism?

No, but it sounds v interesting...is Andrew Motion in there? If he is, what's Hamilton's verdict?

Motion's not in there. All the featured poems seem to be dead, although many only in the last few years.

The poems are dead? or the poets?

Well spotted. Should've been poets. Most of the poems are fairly lively.

Is Irving Layton in there?

no