Each selection may be read as a coherent whole. Samples of several genres appear for those writers, such as Octavio Paz, who are known for their work in more than one genre.
Extensive notes clarify difficult terms.
Critical introductions to each writer provide historical and literary context, and biographical and stylistic information. Written for a general audience by a scholar specializing in that author, these introductions contain a wealth of information useful to both the beginning and advanced reader of literature. Each section concludes with a list of Temas. These topics for discussion and composition are designed to guide the student toward a deeper understanding of the material and should prove a useful classroom tool. Because it is composed of 11 chapters, it is easily adaptable to a semester format.