Robert Bolling is perhaps more interesting as a phenomenon than as a writer. To say so is not to denigrate his often ground-breaking work; rather it is to recognize that his too-brief life spanned crucial years of American history, during which a national identity was being formed from the materials provided by disparate colonial sources. Similarly, his work moved from traditional, often insipid forms, pale imitations of English and Continental models, to a bold engagement with American materials and language. He never achieved greatness in his poetry, and he was rarely better than adequate, given the rigorous standards he often set for himself. His lyrics were conventional, his humor sometimes forced, his metrics obvious. Yet he produced several effective occasional poems, a number of satirical verses that had important political consequences, and at least one long poem, "Neanthe," that is a masterpiece of humor if not of versification...