The Poetic Image in Six Genres is a lively collection of essays and other short pieces by David Madden which will be both enlightening and delightful to the student and teacher of English and, specifically, of creative writing courses, and to the general readers who are interested in literature and in writing. In his Introduction, Mr. Madden speaks of the function and significance of the poetic image in creative work: "In a work of art, a poetic image focuses some element which in its prepared context is highly expressive, and is evocative of the work's important themes and experiences, and these are con­densed and compressed finally into the poetic image. The image is, therefore, highly charged with meaning, both expe­riential and symbolic."

This concept is discussed directly in some instances, indirectly in others, as being appropriate to poetry, short stories, novels, films, autobiographies, and drama. The author also discusses his own creative work (Cassandra Singing, which is both a novel and a play) in an autobiographical essay; and he offers two related examples of his work--a lyrical essay and a short story, "The Singer."