Lauded by many as one of twentieth-century Spain's greatest poets, Jos? ?ngel Valente (1929-2000) remains one of the defining, if at times divisive, figures in Spanish poetry. O'Dwyer's new study draws attention to the cultural and historical context within which Valente developed his sophisticated poetics, and seeks to counter a widespread view of him as a modern mystic, unconcerned with the political. Valente read deeply from a twentieth century...