This broad study of the Hellenistic poets of the third century B.C. provides a much-needed picture of the poetry of the period while demonstrating its quality and vitality. Hutchinson explores the works of such writers as Theocritus, Callimachus, and Apollonius of Rhodes--developing a general conception of poetry that centers around the poets' handling of tone, level, and form--and offers a fresh analysis of the influence of Hellenistic poetry on the city of Rome.