The rise of modernism marked one of the major transitional periods in contemporary literature. The American modernist poets created a rich legacy in their verse explorations of a world touched by war, rapid industrialization, and the growing perceived alienation of the individual. The innovators featured in this volume include Ezra Pound, e.e. cummings, Edna St. Vincent Millay, and Carl Sandburg and their abiding influences. Critical essays examine these poets and their works, with a chronology, bibliography, index, and an introductory essay by master scholar Harold Bloom completing the title.