"People have come to Harvard for the last 50years not expecting to get tenure," he said.
"There's more anxiety about tenure than thereused to be--people used to say, `After my years atHarvard, I'll land on my feet,' but now if theyhave another option, they'll take that otheroption," he said.
Jenkins said he did not harbor bad feelingstowards Harvard, but was pleased to be joiningStanford's faculty.
"I'm leaving to join a great department whichI'm very excited about," he said. "Stanford hasstrong emphasis on poetry, which is my field."
Damrosch said the department wrote strongrecommendations for Jackson, Jenkins and Masten.
Terry Castle, chair of the English departmentat Stanford, said Jenkins' appointment was"definitely a loss to Harvard."
"He's going to add a lot to our department,"she said.
Castle said, however, that the Englishdepartment at Harvard was not in any jeopardy.
"Harvard is one of the great, great Englishdepartments and will always be, despite itsunwillingness to promote from junior ranks," shesaid. "The job market is so abominable that justabout any junior person today would be delightedto take a job at Harvard.