Light verse is notoriously hard to define. As the editors point out in their introduction, the lightness of the tone can often belie such serious intentions as challenging opinions or asserting unconventional views. Containing many poems not previously anthologized, this selection celebrates the work of ironists and humorists from folk poets such as 'Banjo' Paterson to Gwen Harwood, Peter Porter, Chris Wallace-Crabbe, and Clive James.