BAXTER, JAMES K(EIR)

born June 29, 1926, Dunedin, N.Z. died Oct. 22, 1972, Auckland poet whose mastery of versification and striking imagery made him a central figure among New Zealand writers after World War II. Educated in New Zealand and England, he first published Beyond the Palisade (1944), which displayed youthful promise. Blow, Wind of Fruitfulness (1948), superficially a less attractive collection, was more profound. Recent Trends in New Zealand Poetry (1951) was his first critical work, its judgments revealing a maturity beyond his years. Later verse collections include The Fallen House (1953), the satirical Iron Breadboard (1957), and Pig Island Letters (1966). He also published Aspects of Poetry in New Zealand (1967).