I want to get to why this grumbly, axe-grinding, British review of Vendler relates to two trends I see now in American poetry—the confusion over the critic’s role and the rise of literary teams—but first, the question that’s probably foremost on your mind: does Daniel Swift have a case?
For the Kenyon Review, Derek Mong takes a look at Daniel Swift’s overtly personal critique of Helen Vendler and how it exemplifies a trend in current poetry criticism.