在编辑这个文库时，我们在两方面下了功夫。 一方面，在选书时，我们求全，求新，求有代表性和前瞻性。我们不偏爱一家之言，也不只收一家外国出版社之书。语言学与应用语言学的主干学科固然受到了应有的重视，分支学科可也不忽视。语料语言学、语言统计学是新兴学科，我们收入了专著；句法学、语义学久已有人研究，我们也找到了有关的*新著作。 另一方面，我们邀请了国内知名的博士生导师、硕士生导师为各书撰文导读，为读者铺平道路。语言学和应用语言学专著包罗宏富，初学者读起来可能觉得茫无头绪。为了助他们一臂之力，本文库中每一种书我们都请专家写了一万字左右的导读材料。哪怕书中内容比较陌生，谁只要在读书前看一下导读材料，读书后把材料再看一遍，一定能弄清脉络，掌握要点。

Preface by Halliday
王宗炎序
Preface by Chomsky
沈家煊序
导读
Foreword
Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1 Poetry and the lancuage of past and present
1.1 Varieties of english usage
1.2 Linguistic convention in poetry
Examples for discussion
Notes
2 The creative use of language
2.1 The escape from banality
2.2 Two meanings of 'creative'
2.3 Teh qualities of prose in poerty
2.4 Degrees of linguistic andacity
Examples for discussion
Notes
3 Varieties of poetic licence
3.1 Anatomy of languae
3.2 Types of deviation
3.3 Conclusion
Examples for discussion
Notes
4 Foregrounding and interpretation
4.1 Foregrounding
4.2 Interpretation
4.3 Parallelism
Examples for discussion
Notes
5 Verbal repetition
5.1 Schemes and tropes
5.2 Formal repetitions
Examples for discussion
Notes
6 Patterns of sound
7 Metre
8 The Irrational in poetry
9 Figurative languagb
10 Honest deceptions
11 Implications of context
12 Ambiguity and indeterminacy
Conclusion
Notes
Suggestions for further Reading
General index
Index of Sources of Examples for Discussion
文库索引