This critical work asks whether the formation of a poet's oeuvre must involve artistic aberration. With introductory statements exploring the nature of aberration, these fourteen essays investigate the body of work of major contemporary poets from the U.S., Britain, Australia and New Zealand. Aberration is considered from the standpoint of both the artist and the audience, which ultimately forms the canon. The essays are concerned with the status of the aberrant work and the ways in which it challenges, enlarges or supports the overall perception of the poet.