Books: Major Poet, Minor Verse

O TO BE A DRAGON (37 pp.)—Marianne Moore—Viking ($2.75).

A critic once asked a lady what was the best way of "reaching" Marianne Moore. He was speaking of her poetry, but this was the deadpan reply: "Take the Sixth Avenue Independent Subway at 47th Street, the D train to Borough

Hall-Jay Street stop in Brooklyn; cross the platform to take the A express train, get off at the second stop, Lafayette—the front of the train lets you off nearest Cumberland Street; Miss Moore lives on Cumberland, No. 260, which is between Lafayette and De Kalb; it is a six-story, yellow brick building; she...