This widely-cited book, whose chapters have also been anthologized, analyzes the writings of one of America’s poets laureate, W. S. Merwin. Viewing the writer’s work through two lenses, it first isolates his main theme: the unity of humankind with the cosmos and the need to revivify our connection to nature. In addition, it places Merwin’s writings at the center of the revolution in social, political, and cultural attitudes in the post-World War II era. The book does so in an accessible language that has prompted one reviewer to note: “Christhilf has a direct prose style that carries his argument forward in a clear, efficient manner.”