"In this book, Clair Wills takes the measure of Paul Muldoon's poetic gifts. She offers close readings of many of the major poems, while also assessing the general features of his unmistakable style, and his relation to significant predecessors such as Robert Frost and Seamus Heaney. Her book also highlights the major themes in Muldoon's poetry, such as autobiography and the question of origins, sexuality, Irish myth and legend, history and political violence in Northern Ireland, and the dynamics of cross-cultural encounters."--Jacket.