This text presents the work of over seventy writers. Spanning almost two centuries, it reveals a fascinating range of cultural backgrounds, temperaments, and styles. The historical perspective makes it possible to trace a remarkable evolution not only in the concerns that Canadian women haveaddressed in poetry, but also in the craft with which they have done so. Above all, this anthology acts as a reminder that behind the rich contemporary generation is a long cumulative tradition of women poets who have cleared the way.