It is tempting to search in a poet's life for the themes of his poetry. Such an exercise is both easy and dangerous. It is easy because the most important themes are universal to both life and poetry. It is dangerous because the examination of such universals is rarely a promising method of discovering the unique, of revealing the special character of either poet or poetry.

Richard Eberhart, however, is perhaps a special case, for the conflicts central to his verse, the tensions between spirit and matter, order and chaos, are mirrored in the vicissitudes of his life, especially through its first four decades. First, an almost idyllic childhood and early youth were shattered by sudden and inexorable tragedy. Then, after a period of personal restructuring and maturation, he faced years of struggle to maintain the integrity of his talent and vision before achieving substantial recognition of his...