The politesse of Twelfth Century ballades and rondeaux, rendered with a view to accuracy in assonance; the politic egotism of Benjamin Constant and Germaine de Staël (and their mutually consuming passion in coach and salon); the political incorrectness - and worse - of Galina Breznheva: these are the similar and dissimilar elements which make up John Watson's Triptych. John Watson has established himself as one of Australia's most interesting and innovative poets. He is the winner of the Blake, Newcastle, Josephine Ulrick and Bruce Dawe Poetry Prizes, and his work has been widely anthologised and celebrated. He is the author of A First Reader, Montale: A Biographical Anthology, which was shortlisted for the NSW Premier's and Adelaide Festival Poetry Prizes, Erasure Traces, Views from Mt Brogden & A Dictionary of Minor Poets, Occam's Aftershave and Four Refrains.