The overall critical response to Warren's poetry—and to Departure, in particular—has been mixed. Critics seem to want to praise her work (and many do), but many cannot defer from registering a common complaint: she is too academic. Still, Warren's four poetry collections have been generally well received, despite a few jibes scattered throughout the reviews.

In his column for Poetry magazine, the poet and critic David Orr points out that Departure is obviously the work of someone well versed in both classical literature and art. He notes that readers are subjected to a string of allusions, such as to “the Iliad, the Aeneid, Wilfred Owen, Georg Trakl,” and more than half dozen others. Orr takes a humorous shot at Warren, saying, “So if you're looking for poems about corn dogs and the J. Geils Band, get ready for disappointment.” Orr continues with an offhanded...