The Early Poetry of Jaroslav Seifert

by Jaroslav Seifert, Dana Loewy (Translator)

Despite being awarded the Nobel Prize in literature in 1984, much of Czech poet Jaroslav Seifert's work has yet to be translated into English. Publication of Early Poetry will earn for Seifert well-deserved literary recognition. Seifert's poetry is strongly situated within the Czech literary tradition of Poetism, which evolved into a playful, lighthearted refuge from world history while maintaining an edge of social consciousness.

Genres: Poetry, Czech Literature

221 pages, Hardcover

First published May 20, 1997

About the author

Awarded 1984 Nobel Prize in Literature "for his poetry which endowed with freshness, and rich inventiveness provides a liberating image of the indomitable spirit and versatility of man."

Reviews

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, no surprise this collection has not caught on here. It's ridiculously communist, and the earliest poems serve as a reluctant but robust call to armed revolution against the established order. Even considering the early 20th century context, it's hard to get fully caught in the poet's voice. But when his pure human insights shine through, they mesmerize as universally as the best poets do.

"This happens with people all the same;
in the whirl of the day and everyday din
we pretend
that we don't even know each other,
but if one of us beholds another in a coffin,
he learns
that in reality he quite liked him
and should have smiled at him at least a little while alive,
having failed to shake his hand." (13)

"I was thinking:
What if all those who are lying here
burdened the heavens with their prayers
for a little love and for grace,
surely the weight of prayer heaven would break,
snuffed out,
the sun would tumble,
stars falling would shake
and turn dark,
the moon would lose its light;
to earth it would all fall
between houses, onto streets, on grass between flowers
for the love of those who loved
and for the sing of those who had sinner." (19)

[Roger DeBlanck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seifert’s poetry reveals his natural inclination to understand the plight of the dispossessed and the disadvantaged. His subject matter often expresses faith in the idea of revolutionary fervor as an instrument that can usher in positive change, yet he also shuns how nationalism too often turns into fanaticism. He recognizes that the burden of suffering makes it difficult to pursue happiness. Viewing forgiveness as a remedy, he searches for hope among all the gloom. Employing a style that flows with natural ease, his verse ultimately conveys his belief in the ability of patience as a way to give rise to eternal peace.