The Poetry bookshelf

Martin Roger Seymour-Smith (24 April 1928 – 1 July 1998) was a British poet, literary critic, and biographer.: Celebrated for his broad range of intellectual interests, his grace as a poet and his sharpness as a critic, Mr. Seymour-Smith was perhaps best known for his ''Guide to Modern World Literature,'' which was published in 1973 and revised and expanded in 1986 as ''The Macmillan Guide to Modern World Literature.'' The book was such a thorough study of 20th-century poetry, drama and fiction that some critics doubted it was the work of one person -- until they read it and found Mr. Seymour-Smith's distinctive voice and deeply felt opinions in every entry. Mr. Seymour-Smith's whimsical sensibility and relish in not pulling his critical punches could be seen, too, in books like ''Who's Who in 20th-Century Literature'' (1976), in which he offered succinct, pungent analyses of various literary figures. Of Ayn Rand, for example, he said, ''Her crypto-totalitarian and ultra-simplistic ideas have had some influence on the conservatively bred young, since they allow people to be ruthless without a bad conscience.''