Improbable Creatures

Jon Davis’ s latest book of poems, Improbable Creatures, is bursting with signature inventiveness and the nimble lyricism that David Foster Wallace once praised as “ off-the-charts terrific.” Like the characters of a new alphabet, Davis’ s creatures form the language of this stunning collection. And from them emerge new meanings for words we only thought we knew— for plumage, for song, for nest.

Some of his creatures vault from the page, playful proxies for his surprising insights. Others e...