The Transparent Man

Book excerpt: Nominee for National Book Critics Circle Award, this volume contains many delights and some long poems. There is a European feel about Hecht's verse that is striking, partly due to the richness of the classical allusions, and partly due to the way Hecht handles autobiography. Poetry in the 20th century is very much shaped by the individualism of our times, but poetry that is in essence confessional, eccentric, and overly particularized quickly becomes tiresome. Hecht often avoids this pitfall by realizing his own insight through cultural rather than personal metaphor, and this allows his words and imagery to remain fresh and resonant. ISBN 0-394-58506-2: $18.95.