Reviews, as Rick says, are literature and can be entertaining in their own right. Or not, as Rose says.
As for the best way of helping the potential reader decide whether to buy a collection of poetry or not, I'd go further than Maz. Simply list the first line of every poem. Poems rarely improve after that. Not an infallible method, since the unscrupulous poet who cottoned on could simply write 40 dazzling openers followed by drivel, but if a first line doesn't grab you in some way and make you want to know more then the chances are you won't like the whole poem. I feel the same way about novels (although there you need a paragraph).
Nemo has a point about the essay, though. A well-written essay isn't out to convince you that something is better than you thought it was but is an aid to enjoyment (I don't see a lot of point in reading an essay about a poet or poem you don't already know).
There. I just agreed with everyone.
Philip
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