Books: Yankee Poet

A FURTHER RANGE—Robert Frost— Holt ($2.50).

Robert Frost should be persona grata to two opposing parties: Yankees who never touch poetry and poetry-bibbers who shy at Yankees. For Robert Frost has a foot in both camps. New Englanders who pride themselves on their conservative shrewdness and rock-bound individualism think they recognize him as one of themselves; and poets know he is a poet. His prosiest lines are often lifted into verse by some piece of sly wit or canny wisdom, and at its best his poetry is as strong and simple as...