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Oxford University Press, USA
Gods and Mortals: Modern Poems on Classical Myths
Gods and Mortals: Modern Poems on Classical Myths
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For centuries, poets have looked into the mirror of classical myth to show us the many ways our emotional lives are still reflected in the ancient stories of heroism, hubris, transformation, and loss that myths so eloquently tell. Now, in Gods and Mortals: Modern Poems on Classical Myths, we have the first anthology to gather the great 20th century myth-inspired poems from around the world.
Perhaps it is because the myths echo the structure of our unconscious that every new generation of poets finds them a source of inspiration and self-recognition, says Nina Kossman in her introduction to this marvelous collection. Indeed, from Valery, Yeats, Lawrence, Rilke, Akhmatova, and Auden writing in the first half of the century to such contemporary poets as Lucille Clifton, Derek Walcott, Rita Dove, Wislawa Szymborska, and Mark Strand, the material of Greek myth has elicited a poetry of remarkably high achievement. And by organizing the poems first into broad categories such as Heroes, Lovers, Trespassers, and secondly around particular mythological figures such as Persephone, Orpheus, or Narcissus, readers are treated to a fascinating spectrum of poems on the same subject. For example, the section on Odysseus includes poems by Cavafy, W. S. Merwin, Gregory Corso, Gabriel Zaid, Louise Gluck, Wallace Stevens, and many others. Thus we are allowed to see the familiar Greek hero refracted through the eyes, and sharply varying stylistic approaches, of a wide range of poets from around the world.
Here, then, is a collection of extraordinary poems that testifies to--and amply rewards--our ongoing fascination with classical myth.
Author: Nina Kossman
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Published: 03/22/2001
Pages: 320
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.41lbs
Size: 9.64h x 6.40w x 1.17d
ISBN: 9780195133417
Review Citation(s):
Booklist 10/01/2000 pg. 300
Choice 06/01/2001 pg. 1789
Commonweal 12/06/2002 pg. 21
Perhaps it is because the myths echo the structure of our unconscious that every new generation of poets finds them a source of inspiration and self-recognition, says Nina Kossman in her introduction to this marvelous collection. Indeed, from Valery, Yeats, Lawrence, Rilke, Akhmatova, and Auden writing in the first half of the century to such contemporary poets as Lucille Clifton, Derek Walcott, Rita Dove, Wislawa Szymborska, and Mark Strand, the material of Greek myth has elicited a poetry of remarkably high achievement. And by organizing the poems first into broad categories such as Heroes, Lovers, Trespassers, and secondly around particular mythological figures such as Persephone, Orpheus, or Narcissus, readers are treated to a fascinating spectrum of poems on the same subject. For example, the section on Odysseus includes poems by Cavafy, W. S. Merwin, Gregory Corso, Gabriel Zaid, Louise Gluck, Wallace Stevens, and many others. Thus we are allowed to see the familiar Greek hero refracted through the eyes, and sharply varying stylistic approaches, of a wide range of poets from around the world.
Here, then, is a collection of extraordinary poems that testifies to--and amply rewards--our ongoing fascination with classical myth.
Author: Nina Kossman
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Published: 03/22/2001
Pages: 320
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.41lbs
Size: 9.64h x 6.40w x 1.17d
ISBN: 9780195133417
Review Citation(s):
Booklist 10/01/2000 pg. 300
Choice 06/01/2001 pg. 1789
Commonweal 12/06/2002 pg. 21
About the Author
Nina Kossman is a translator, poet, writer, and playwright. The recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship and a UNESCO/PEN Short Story Award, she has translated two books by Marina Tsvetaeva, In the Inmost Hour of the Soul and Poem of the End. She lives in New York.
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