East German poetry;: An anthology

by Michael Hamburger

English, German

Genres: Poetry, German Literature, Anthologies

213 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 1973

About the author

German-British academic, author, poet, translator and critic.

Reviews

[Kris Kipling]

Since it's hard to find any information about this little book, here goes:

Primarily: Bertolt Brecht, Peter Huchel, Johannes Bobrowski, Gunter Kunert, Reiner Kunze, and a fair sampling of Volker Braun (9 poems) and Wolf Biermann (8 poems). There are asides for Kahlau (3 poems), Sarah Kirsch (3), Karl Mickel (2), Kurt Bartsch (5), and Bernd Jentzsch (3). There are 213 pages. Unlike his MODERN GERMAN POETRY, Michael Hamburger is not the sole translator - translators include Christopher Middleton and others. A rare and valuable book, poetry from a country that no longer exists. East Germany! Bobrowski and Huchel are among the century's greatest poets; Brecht, whatever one may think of his poetry (I find it hit or miss, but when it hits.. aye!), was enormously influential; Kunze's brand of minimalism often reads like dark, ironic haiku. Kirsch, who one wishes had received more space here (though she has been elsewhere translated into English), intrigues.

[Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need to own this

[Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bilingual collection of poems written by famous East German poets. I was moved by a poem written by Wolf Biermann. I especially liked one by Bertolt Brecht. Of course these poems were not openingly anti communist.

[Mo · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Eingezeichnet / in meine Handflächen / finde ich dein Gesicht."