Each volume of this reference provides substantial critical essays and biographical information on four to eight major poets from all eras.

Entries provide an introductory biographical sketch, an author portrait, a primary bibliography, annotated full text and excerpted criticism of the poets' works and sources for additional reading. When available, comments from the poets themselves are included. Approximately 90-95% of critical essays are full text.Each volume includes cumulative author name and nationality indexes as well as a volume-specific title index.