Even if William Empson had never written a word of poetry, his name would be important in any overall evaluation of twentieth-century letters. For Empson first became well known, not for his poetry, but for his contribution to literary criticism. In each of his four major critical works, beginning with Seven Types of Ambiguity (1930) and spanning three decades to Milton's God (1961), Empson has made an important, if highly controversial, contribution to our way of reading and understanding literature. It is only in the last three decades that his poetry has been treated with the seriousness it deserves. William Empson has a unique and memorable voice which, when put together with his commensurate technical skills, makes him an important poet.

As a poet Empson is a traditionalist, saying once, "I am in favour of rhyme and metre in English poetry." He also brings to his verse a commitment to...