A rhythm to stand beside is a varied collection, ranging from extended experiments in language (A brush through a mathematical selection of G·), to a kind of magical lyricism in poems invoking luck and inspiration; from a rambling, cumulatively hilarious ode to Ontario, to poems of plain but searching emotional statement. Hannan has been working informally with a group of contemporary dancers, looking at ways to write poetry to accompany performances; he explores the idea in poems that form a thread running through this book.