Providing the most thorough coverage available in a single volume, this comprehensive, broadly based collection offers a rich variety of international writers and their works in three genres: short fiction, poetry, and drama. Newly revised and expanded introductory essays discuss the principal characteristics of each genre and offer students an overview of contemporary critical perspectives. The new fourth Canadian edition adds fiction by Charles G.D. Roberts and poems by John Donne, Alexander Pope, W.B. Yeats, and Archibald Lampman. Organized chronologically by author and birth date, the impressive scope of authors and strong Canadian representation make this volume the essential text for introductory literature courses.