Chosen from the work of the unknown as well as the famous, 171 poems by 35 black men and women show poetic mastery of a great variety of subjects and styles, as well as a wide range of attitudes and poetic talents. Every poem has historical importance as a response to the African-American experience by black writers of the period from 1829 to 1900. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

In this anthology, an expanded companion to Invisible Poets (Univ. of Illinois Pr., 1989. 2d ed.), Sherman makes visible the poems of the many ``invisible'' African American poets from the 19th century. The introduction surveys the historical and cultural values of African American poetry. The poems themselves have historical as well as lyric value; unfamiliar as well as familiar poets are included. Though the poems are formal, the rhymes are generally unforced. Witness these lines from Paul Laurence Dunbar: ``And like hounds unleashed and eager/ For the life blood of the prey,/ Sprung they forth and bore them bravely/ In the thickest of the fray.'' This anthology also includes an extensive bibliography to help researchers find other resources. Highly recommended for collections strong in poetry and African American literature.-- Lenard D. Moore, United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County, N.C. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Anthologies of 19th-century American poetry often neglect African American poets. They include, at most, only the standard names: Paul Laurence Dunbar, Frances E.W. Harper, George Moses Horton, Albery Allson Whitman. Sherman, author of the biographical Invisible Poets: Afro-Americans of the Nineteenth Century (CH, Jan'75), selects from the work of 35 African American poets, 9 of whom are women. All but three of the authors published one or more volumes of verse. The poetry of many of the lesser-known writers, as Sherman is not averse to pointing out, is often weak; nevertheless, Sherman, in culling the best work by these authors, has shown the variety and vibrancy of African American poetry produced in the 19th century. Anthologies such as this should do much to bring more critical attention to such deserving but neglected authors as Alfred Gibbs Campbell and Henrietta Cordelia Ray. Sherman provides an excellent introduction, brief biographical headnotes for each poet, and a full bibliography. An excellent purchase for any library interested in American poetry. L. J. Parascandola; Long Island UniversityDSBrooklyn Campus From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.