Poems

The first of seven books of poetry published during Dugan's lifetime, "Poems" examines the unusual details of everyday subjects, including waterfalls, house plants, love, war, religion, and the Irish. Explorations inevitably arouse feelings of alienation, defeat, despair, and disenchantment. The poems are also marked by casual humor, mockery, and satire, which produce some of its strongest effects. The tone and style on display in this first book characterize all of Dugan's subsequent poetry.