The poems in Excursive appear as practical essays in the manner of Francis Bacon or Montaigne but in the spirit of Robert Duncan and contemporary poets concerned with what goes on day to day for the poet as a person in a world of archetypes. Her poems direct our attention to subjects diverse and miscellaneous or as her subtitle says, " on Abstraction, Entity, Experience, Impression, Oddity, Utterance, &c." Her essays are not only practical, but in this world increasingly driven by fear, Robinson assures the reader that, " ' World' does not mean ' harm.' "