Rinkeldekinkel: An Anthology of Dutch Poetry

by Rob Schouten (Editor)

A bold, engaged new anthology spotlighting the work of contemporary Dutch poets.

What shape does Dutch art take in the American imagination? Austere, perhaps. Insular. Fixated on nature, every writer's "traditional source of consolation." And all of these qualities may indeed be true of the Netherlands' early literature. But in this anthology, readers will encounter a radically different body of Dutch poetics--one defined by international cultural exchange, linguistic invention, and contemporary life.

Over three decades, the twenty poets featured here celebrate the colorful world that blossomed in the wake of Margaret Thatcher, Ronald Reagan, and global Cold War conservatism. Poets, writes anthology editor Rob Schouten, took this moment to adopt a "new view on reality," one filled with "bewilderment and excitement." The rise of multiculturalism in the Netherlands, the influence of pop culture, and a cultural shift away from highly formal language led to the development of a public voice that mirrored the changes happening across an increasingly diverse Western Europe.

From Mustafa Stitou's surreal ruminations on death and faith, to Elma van Haren's energetic and evocative verse, to Hester Knibbe's ruminative feminist ekphrases, each poet in this anthology brings something distinct to the page. This anthology is a celebration of artistic variety that English-speaking audiences will be delighted to attend. "Nothing's tied and all is loose," writes Ingmer Heytze, so we all should "dance and know that [we] exist."

Genres: Poetry

224 pages, Paperback

Published October 12, 2021

Reviews

[Philip Coulter · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had no previous expectations of what dutch poetry is, and my dutch is at the level where I can just about handle Nijntje. As such I can't really just on how good translations were, or the selection of poets or poems from what was available.
I did enjoy pretty much every poet here on some level, there were no real misses, and a few interested me enough to look further.

[Víctor Bermúdez · Rating 3 out of 5]

«spiegelgladde zee
geschubde golfjes, geen
schuim —
kleine golfjes, breken
niet, toppen hebben glasachtig aanzien —
kleine golven, toppen beginnen
te breken, hier en daar
schuim —
kleine, langer wordende
golven, vrij veel witte
schuimkoppen —»
Anneke Brassinga (1948)

[Rudra Pandit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cool to read translated poems. While i was reading this i met a girl who SPOKE dutch and she explained the differences in translation so that was cool.

[Elizabeth Chandler · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I liked most about this anthology is that it had the original on one page and the translation directly opposite. I’ve read so many lately where they put all the original at the beginning and the translation at the end. This makes it so much easier to study both together. Excellent poetry with a variety of authors from different generations. The poem titled, “Are Frogs the Canaries” is going to haunt me for some time as it discusses relevant environmental change and makes an eerie comparison!