This thematically arranged anthology incorporates poetry, drama, fiction, and the essay. Four introductory chapters illustrate ways of responding to and writing about literature, with numerous examples of student writing. Eight thematic chapters follow, with a balance of new and traditional voices, including less frequently anthologized selections from canonical writers as well as many works by women, minorities, and writers from other countries. A final chapter presents three poets for in-depth study: Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, and Gwendolyn Brooks.