Edith Sitwell (1887-1964) was born into an aristocratic family and, along with her brothers, Osbert and Sacheverell, had a significant impact on the artistic life of the 20s. She encountered the work of the French symbolists, Rimbaud in particular, early in her writing life and became a champion of the modernist movement, editing six editions of the controversial magazine Wheels. She remained a crusading force against philistinism and conservatism throughout her life and her legacy lies as much in her unstinting support of other artists as it does in her own poetry.

• ForewordI On the Poet's NatureII Notes on the Nature of PoetryIII Notes on Technical MattersIV On a Necessity of Poetry: The Centre, the CoreV On Morality in PoetryVI On SimplicityVII On the SensesVIII On Over-CivilisationIX The Need for the Refreshing of the LanguageX On the Poets LabourXI On Imagery in PoetryXII On the Poet, the Natural World, and InspirationXIII On the Power of WordsXIV On the Deaths of Two PoetsXV Of Ben JohnsonXVI Applicable to the AugustansXVII Some Notes on Alexander PopeXVIII A Note on ByronXIX Applicable to BlakeXX Applicable to BaudelaireXXI Applicable to VerlaineXXII A Note on the Earliest English PoetryXXIII Notes on ChaucerXIV Notes on Certain Poems by Dunbar, Skelton, Gower, and a Poem by An Anonymous PoetXV Notes on HerrickXVI Notes on Smart, With a Note on Gerard Manley HopkinsXVII Notes on WordsworthXVIII Notes on ShakespeareEpilogueA Note on the Author