American Divine

If any doubts remain that a splendidly original poet has arrived, American Divine should settle the matter. The book confirms Poochigian's status as one of the most arresting poets of his generation. The poems are strong, individual, and unusually accessible despite their capacious erudition. The real critical question is more complicated, namely how does one describe the singular poet Poochigian has become? How does one characterize the potent and omnivorous style he has created? Poochigian is at once a traditional, indeed even classical, and yet his work is idiosyncratic, disruptive, and often disturbing -- not the qualities usually associated with a classical sensibility. --Dana Gioia