A book of new poems by a major writer is an event. A book of new poems that marks a different, more powerful approach is cause for celebration. What I looked for here, James Dickey tells us about The Eagle s Mile, was a flicker of light from another direction, and when I caught it or thought I did I followed where it went, for better or worse. In this new work, Dickey edges away from the narrative-based poems of his previous books and gives instead more primacy to the language in which he writes. His poetry gains flexibility, and his poetic power becomes even surer and more clearly expressed. I have experimented, Dickey writes, and look forward to experimenting more. "