The publication of Dale Zieroth's work in two important 1970s anthologies established him as one of the significant new voices in Canadian poetry of the decade. That Zieroth's poems were included in Storm Warning (1971), edited by Al Purdy, and the House of Anansi's Mindscapes (1971), edited by Ann Wall, says something about the essential qualities of his work. On the one hand, he has the casual tone and commonplace rural subject matter of Purdy; on the other, his polished metaphors and political concerns are more reminiscent of Dennis Lee, the Anansi editor who was his early mentor. The storm warning, and a glimpse at his mindscape, prepared an enthusiastic reception for Zieroth's first book. The anticipation of a second book of verse almost turned to impatience before Mid-River appeared in 1981 to secure Zieroth's reputation as one of the richest poets in the tradition defined by Purdy.

Zieroth, son of...