本书介绍17、18世纪英国主要诗人和他们的某些代表作品。全书选择了这两个世纪的十五位诗人，包括多恩、琼生、弥尔顿和德莱顿等七位17世纪诗人，以及斯威夫特、蒲柏、约翰逊和彭斯等八位18世纪诗人，细致地赏析诗歌六十余首，其中主要是短诗，但也有某些长诗的名段。

1.Introduction to Reading Poetry

2.John Donne (1572-1631): Poet of Secular and Sacred Love

3.Ben Jonson (1572-1637): Elegist, Satirist, and Moralist

4.Robert Herrick (1591-1674): Poet of Time, Love, and Delight

5.George Herbert (1593-1633): Poet and Priest

6.John Milton (1608-1674): Poet of English Puritanism

7.Andrew Marvell (1621-1678): Pastoral Poet of Time and History

8.John Dryden (1631-1700): Poet of the Restoration

9.Jonathan Swift (1667-1745): Satirist, Preacher, and Lover

10.Alexander Pope (1688-1744): Satirist and Moralist

11.Samuel Johnson (1709-1784): Moralist and Satirist

12.Four Eighteenth-Century Poets: Finch, Gray, Goldsmith, and Cowper

13.Robert Burns (1759-1796): Singer, Satirist, and Storyteller

Epilogue

Further Reading

Index