Ponsot's publication Springing (2002) is a good place to find an overview of the poet's career. Poems from all of her previous collections, along with some that were never published before, are in this book. The evolution in her writing, as well as in her life, is evident.

Reportedly, one of Ponsot's favorite poets is the Nobel Prize-winning Irish poet Seamus Heaney, who has published a collection of poems called Open Ground: Selected Poems, 1966-1996 (1999). His poetry is not light reading, so it is best taken in small doses, which gives it time to sink in. It is well worth the effort.

Josephine Jacobsen, another of Ponsot's favorite poets, is not a well-known poet, except by those who are serious about poetry. Jacobsen's 2000 collection, In the Crevice of Time, is a good place to start getting to know her.

Jane Cooper...