This is one of my favorite literature anthologies -- and as a former literary studies major, I've been through many. First off, I really enjoyed the reading selections. As noted by its title, this book quite specifically deals with only 16th century poetry, so there's a more complete sense of inclusion than is found in, say, Norton's counterpart anthology of 16th century English literature, which includes non-verse selections. Also, the annotations provide useful background information on the time period, the authors, and the specific works. What I loved most about this anthology, though, is that the editors left the original punctuation (or lack thereof) on the poems. This not only lends a more authentic reading experience, it also leaves the poems open to layered interpretations and double meanings -- a hallmark of this literary era. ( )