Criticism

Byers, Thomas B. "The Peace in the Middle of the Floor: W. S. Merwin's Prose." Modern Language Quarterly 44, No. 1 (March 1983): 65-79.

Discusses style and theme in Merwin's prose, focusing on the works in The Miner's Pale Children.

Davis, William V. "Days Polished with Ashes: W. S. Merwin's Poetry of Immediate Moments." Poet & Critic 21, No. 3 (Spring 1990): 37-40.

Suggests that Merwin's work in The Rain in the Trees displays a thematic innovation not present in his previous work.

Hoeppner, Edward Haworth. "A Nest of Bones: Transcendence, Topology, and the Theory of the Word in W. S. Merwin's Poetry." Modern Language Quarterly 49, No. 3 (September 1988): 262-84.

In-depth analysis of thematic, stylistic, and linguistic aspects of Merwin's poetry.

Nelson, Cary, and Folsom, Ed, eds. W. S. Merwin: Essays on the Poetry. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1987, 405 p.

Collection of essays that address various aspects of Merwin's poetry. The book also contains an extensive bibliography of works by and about Merwin.