Poetry anthologies (various poets)

Book SynopsisIn recognition of the town’s long history and rich heritage, the poems gathered in this anthology celebrate Reading’s connections with poetry, both past and present. Written by poets who live or have lived in the area, many of the poems are set in Reading and the Thames Valley and make reference to poems and writers associated with the town over the years: Coleridge in flight from his university debts, Rimbaud’s association with a language school in King’s Road, Oscar Wilde’s ‘Ballad of Reading Gaol’, Jane Austen’s only formal schooling, and Dickens’s many visits to the town. The anthology is also an essential introduction to reading poetry. Each poet has provided his or her own account of their relation to the anthology’s theme, their inspiration, their muse. The poets represented are Paul Bavister, Adrian Blamires, David Cooke, Jane Draycott, Claire Dyer, John Froy, A.F. Harrold, Ian House, Wendy Klein, Gill Learner, Allison McVety, Kate Noakes, Victoria Pugh, Peter Robinson, Lesley Saunders, Susan Utting, and Jean Watkins. Specially commissioned illustrations from Sally Castle round off this refreshingly approachable collection.Trade Review‘one of the most thoroughly enjoyable books of poetry I have read of late … I was moved by their calm, lyrical approach … This collection reminds us of what is great about English poetry … its continuity, its depth of field, and its constant surprising relationship to wherever it happens to find itself … a glimpse into what living in a less-than-metropolitan city over here is like, and how poets get on with words day to day … get this exemplary beautifully-made collection’ — Todd Swift, Eyewear

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisArc New Voices from Europe and Beyond: 1The first volume in Arc's New Voices from Europe, a series of anthologies featuring the work of contemporary poets written in what might be described as the 'small' languages of Europe. The six young Slovenian poets - three male (Uros Zupan, Peter Semolic and Gregor Podlogar) and three female (Vida Mokrin-Pauer, Maja Vidmar and Natasa Velikonja) - who contribute to this anthology are from the post-postmodernist generation, the generation that came of age in the 1990s and that takes the freedoms of an independent nation-state as a given. Although their work may have more in common with that of poets in wider Europe (even North America) than with their predecessors in the Slovenian cultural tradition (as described in the illuminating introduction to this volume), they write with a distinctiveness and originality that, to quote from the introduction, "traverses the hitherto neglected terrain of colloquial speech, hybrid identities and cultural sensibilities of an urban capitalist milieu". This is a fascinating introduction to contemporary Slovenian poetry. "This is the first in a new series of bilingual anthologies from Arc, with the admirable aim of bringing the work of a younger generation of poets across Europe to a wider English-language readership. Six Slovenian Poets fulfils this endeavour with a varied selection of poets under forty, all published for the first time within the past decade and all, in their various ways, breaking with Slovenian literary tradition. These young poets reference the Beckhams, Dolce & Gabbana, Sinead O'Connor and Gilbert and George as well as Paz, Yeats and Auden: poems, as Gregor Podlogar comments in Ana Jelnikar and Stephen Watts' fine translation, for when '54 TV programmes / just aren't enough'."Modern Poetry in TranslationTable of ContentsIntroduction by Ales Debeljak 1. Vida Mokrin-Pauer With an unknown Bosnian on the bus... Gynaecologically long slender fine-rounded fingers... Miracles mildly restore us Andersen's little girl with matches... I'm undecided from wishing. ... Heartless vegetating of a woman with a problem A commentary on the self and on a poem within a poem Once, there was a reaper Sand picture My boy Me, my body-function: a woman poet for the cosmos Architext love Claustrophobia Moving on We sleep in different Smartie 2. Maja Vidmar The house Poet Nigredo; Il rubedo; Albedo The couple How you loved me Prayer of the orange The means On a walk A taste of the rainbow Teacher Presence To my daughter Isaac Pact Winter poem; Spring; The last summer; Autumn poem Idyll 3. Uro' Zupan Garden, Bach Playing God Dreams have come true A tree and a sparrow Nocturne Farewell to philosophy 4. Peter Semolic Father An evening chat Homeless poet writing to his love Sinead's voice Piero della Francesca's angel Reading Octavio Paz Hatchet in a knot The squares of Fuzine On second thought Writing it down Morost, in spring Lines 5. Nata'a Velikonja revolution weed greetings from the back of the class a thank-you 6. Gregor Podlogar The twentieth of August Small things Corinth High ride the streets E-mail Lights of Bombay War inna Babylon Everything Ich bin ein Berliner Ich bin ein Berliner The people are living near to beauty, passing by Random Biographical notes

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Book SynopsisSix Polish Poets makes available to the English-language reader the poetry of the younger generation of poets who whose first collections (with one exception) have been published in the past decade. Unlike the poets of the previous generation who, in the period of new-found freedom after the fall of communism, adopted a highly individualistic, anarchic, sometimes brutal style, the poets represented here re-examine and experiment with traditional poetic forms, themes and cultural references in poems that are refined and witty, moving and informed, ranging across every aspect of human existence. This anthology is both thought-provoking and full of warmth and humanity, and while it cannot claim to be representative of contemporary Polish poetry as a whole, it nevertheless provides an insight into today's literary scene in Poland. Parallel text: Polish / EnglishTrade Review'Six Polish Poets' is the second bilingual anthology of Polish poetry, published by Arc. It is also the fifth volume in the series 'New Voices from Europe and Beyond' which brings contemporary world poetry to the English-language readers. The book features a selection of poets who made their debuts in the past two decades; mostly, however, in the 1990s or later. As Jacek Dehnel, the volume's editor and one of its contributors, rightly points out, the authors' common feature is re-examination and deconstruction of traditional poetic forms and themes. In the poems presented here, the metric and rhythmic structures undergo bold alterations, while the imagery and poetic voice become largely influenced by contemporary language. The anthology opens with a selection of poems by Anna Piwkowska, whose verse reveals a mature approach to questions of love and gender. What strikes the reader here, however, is the skilful use of traditional syllabic patterns, such as the thirteen-syllable line, which has been part of the Polish poetic tradition for centuries. With slight modifications, it appears in the poem 'A Train'. Together with the well-structured rhyming scheme, it turns the literary description of a train journey into a melodic and sensual flow of sounds. Even though one would expect those devices to be lost in translation, the exceptional rhythm and beauty of this poetry have not disappeared in the adept translations by Elzbieta Wojcik-Leese. In comparison to Piwkowska's verse, Dariusz Suska's texts can be situated at the far end of the thematic and linguistic spectrum. The exploration of death intertwines in his oeuvre with childhood memories, while the persona often wears at once the masks of an adult and a child. The presented poems reveal, above all, Suska's extraordinary quality in capturing the very essence of the Polish reality, its objects, conventional gestures and odd habits. It is enough to mention the images of the popular in the 1980s Wigry folding bicycles in the poem 'Go Down to the Cellar - ' or the Christmas Eve carp swimming in a bathtub, as presented in 'By the Twentieth...'. Mira Rosenthal's masterly translations of Tomasz Rozycki's verse comprise the third part of the anthology. Both, the poet's affinity with the form of the sonnet and his attachment to problems of history, identity, belonging and love are recognizable in the presented selection. Although unique and personal, his poems have a universal appeal which makes them equally valid both for Polish and English-language readers. Maciej Wozniak's poetry is almost entirely immersed in the world of music. It is not only the inspiration but also the rationale for Wozniak's oeuvre. Even love poems, such as 'Three Pieces for Two Voices and Lute', turn into musical explorations. In this particular text, John Dowland's songs serve as a stimulus to examine problems of love and its gradual fading. It is the skilful construction of the persona that strikes the reader in the selection of Agnieszka Kuciak's poems. Far from being fixed, the speaker seems to personify the contemporary human identity. Its main characteristics are movement, change and fluidity. These are also the elements that make Kuciak's poetry versatile, imaginative and inspiring. The anthology closes with works by Jacek Dehnel, the youngest poet in the volume and one of the most accomplished writers of his generation. The translations from Polish, by Antonia Lloyd-Jones and George Szirtes, fully convey Dehnel's passion for language and indicate the poetic influences that have shaped his work. Dehnel's texts are well grounded both in Polish and European literary tradition. Poems worth mentioning include 'Happiness' and 'Symmetry', both reminiscent of works by Philip Larkin - a poet that Dehnel has studied closely and translated into Polish. Overall, Six Polish Poets is an enjoyable and thought-provoking read which will surely appeal to a wide audience. The volume will be welcomed not only by students of Polish literature, but also by lovers of poetry seeking a first-rate reading experience. And last but not least, the book will be a valuable addition to the body of world literature in English. Ewa Stanczyk in 'The Review' (Manchester) 20 January 2009Table of ContentsSeries Editor's Preface. Introduction. ANNA PIWKOWSKA (translated by Elzbieta Wojcik-Leese, Ewa Chrusciel & Karen Kovacik) Biography. Piosenka / A Song, Kwiat sie rozpada / Flowers Degrade, Gobelin / Tapestry, Rosja / Russia, Tren tamtego lata / Lament of That Summer, Don Juan / Don Juan, Rzeka Moskwa / The Moscow River Po prostu / For No Reason, W pogodny dzien / On a Sunny Day, Ostatnie lato / The Last Summer, Pociag / A Train, Co przynosza mezczyzni / What Do Men Bring?, Za oknem / Outside the Window, Dziewczyna w kordonkowej czapeczce / Young Woman in a Silk Cap. DARIUSZ SUSKA (translated by Bill Johnston) Biography. Wszystkie nory swiata, wiec i ten tu pokoj / All the Hovels in the World, and So This Room as Well, Uchylic balkon, w pokoj wwlec buczenie / Crack Open the Balcony Door, Drag into the Room the Insistent, Piec dni przelezal, zanim wytaszczyli / Five Days he Lay there Before they Hauled, Zejsc do piwnicy, poswiecic latarka / Go Down to the Cellar, Shine the Flashlight Beam W Wilkowie trzeba bylo wysiasc z pekaesu / In Wilkowo You Had to Get off the Bus, W ubranku do komunii zostal zakopany / He was Buried with his Little Communion Suit On, Fragmenty z roku 2003 / Fragments from 2003, Nie gniec jej bucikiem, oszczedzmy te ose / Don't Crush it with Your Shoe, Let's Leave the Wasp Alone, Szczesliwy dzien, w ktorym do gniazda szerszeni / It Was a Happy Day when Kojak Threw a Bomb, Pamietny dzien, w ktorym na tamto mrowisko / It Was a Memorable Day when a Punishment from Heaven, Zbieracz chrzaszczy / The Beetle Collector, Kopara im opadla, kiedy uderzylem / When I Took the Free Kick their Jaws Hit the Floor, Kolo dwudziestego plywaly juz w wannie juz w wannie / By the Twentieth They were Already in the Bath, Nazywalem to zyciem, a zycia nie bylo / I Called It Life, but there Was no Life. TOMASZ ROZICKI (translated by Mira Rosenthal) Biography. Przeprawa / A Crossing, Zolta nuta / Yellow Overtone, Antypody / Antipodes, Zajaczki / Bunny Rabbits, Piesn druga (Bibop) / Second Song (Bebop), Druga elegia na koniec zimy / Second Elegy at the End of Winter, Piesn dwudziesta pierwsza / Twenty-First Song, Kampania zimowa 2003 / Winter Campaign 2003, Zaglowce Jej Krolewskiej Mosci / Her Majesty's Fleet, Zywy towar / Fresh Meat Mrowki i rekiny / Ants and Sharks, Dryfowanie / Drifting, Koralowa zatoka / Coral Bay, Polow w zatoce / Fishing in the Bay, Dom gubernatora / The Governor's Residence. MACIEJ WOZNIAK (translated by Elzbieta Wojcik-Leese) Biography. Nowy Jork, czerwiec 1955 / New York, June 1955, Londyn, listopad 1936 / London, November 1936, Francois Couperin daje trzy Lekcje Ciemnosci / Francois Couperin Gives Three Lessons on Darkness Trzy utwory na dwa glosy i lutnie / Three Pieces for Two Voices and Lute, Kolyska / A Cradle, Klepsydra / Hour-glass, Kiedy umre, bedziesz mi sie snila / When I Die, You Will Visit My Dreams, Wiersz, ktory pomyslala sobie Virginia Woolf... / A Poem Which Occurred to Virginia Wolf..., Biedna Klara Schumann / Poor Clara Schumann, Zakret Wisly / Bend in the Vistula, Kwiecien, chlod rano / April, Cold in the Morning, Proboszczewice / Proboszczewice, Sukienka / The Dress, Glod / Hunger. AGNISZKA KUCIAK (translated by Ewa Chrusciel, Craig Greenman, Karen Kovacik & Ryszard Reisner) Biography. Metrum / Metre, Mieso / Meat, Wroniecka / Wroniecka, Pokoj / A Room, "Do kazdej rzeczy..." / "The rain knocks...", "Ta, ktora szyc nie chciala..." / "She who didn't want to sew...", "Przez roztargnienie..." / "And to drop...", Depresja / Depression, Czekajac na blondynki / Waiting for the Blondes, Romans / Romance, "Naga, otwarla mi..." / "Naked, she let me in...", W Rzymie / In Rome, Przyjazd do Bizancjum / Arrival at Byzantium, Niniwa / Nineveh. JACEK DEHNEL (translated by Antonia Lloyd-Jones) Biography. Szczescie / Happiness, Symetria / Symmetry, Smierc Wilde'a / The Death of Oscar Wilde, Saint-Malo / Saint-Malo, Biedny chrzescijanin patrzy na gabinet Peggy Sage / A poor Christian looks at the Peggy Sage salon, Miasta dalekie / Distant Cities, Brzytwa okamgnienia / A Razor-sharp Glance, Foto-Film, A. Cechnowski... / Foto-Film, A. Cechnowski..., Andy Warhol, "Robert Mapplethorpe"... / Andy Warhol, "Robert Mapplethorpe"..., Roza jest rozyczka jest paczkiem / Rose is a little Rose is a Rosebud, Big Splash / Big Splash, Zegar czyli... / The Clock or..., Przyjecie / The Reception. About the translators

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Book Synopsis"I Have Found a Song" is a fascinating collection of poems and images published to mark the Bicentenary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act. It originated in a commission from Arts Council England for 12 poets to write on the theme of enslavement, which has resulted in a richly diverse selection of new poems. Interspersed with these are elaborate and exciting visual contributions by five artists invited by "Enitharmon Editions" to produce work on the same theme. The de luxe edition of the book is accompanied by a portfolio of signed original prints, and each artist has also contributed additional sequences of images reflecting on enslavement in its many forms. The poets include Patience Agbabi, Polly Atkin, Valerie Bloom, Jean 'Binta' Breeze, Fred D'Aguiar, Helen Dunmore, Bernardine Evaristo, Paul Farley, Jacob Sam-La Rose, Iain Sinclair, Hugo Williams, and Benjamin Zephaniah. The artists include Sonia Boyce, Hew Locke, Shanti Panchal, Chris Steele-Perkins, and Paula Rego.

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Book Synopsis

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