Selected Poems of Anna Akhmatova [Paperback]

Anna Akhmatova (Author), Roberta Reeder (Editor), Judith Hemschemeyer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2000

A companion to The Complete Poems, this collection offers in a bilingual format some of the Russian poet’s most intense and lyrical moments, while retaining a preface by Roberta Reeder and accompanying notes for Judith Hemschemeyer’s translations. "We needn’t worry again about how to read Akhmatova in translation."—The Observer (London) "In this restrained and accurate translation ... the sense and message strike with all the weight of the original." —New York Times Book Review

Judith Hemschemeyer began translating Akhmatova in 1976. She is a professor at the University of Central Florida, and has published several books of poetry and translations. Roberta Reeder has taught at Harvard and Yale and is the author of Akhmatova’s biography, Anna Akhmatova: Poet & Prophet.

Also available by Anna Akhmatova
The Complete Poems of Anna Akhmatova
PB $29.00, 0-939010-27-5 • CUSA

A companion to The Complete Poems, this collection offers some of the Russian poet's most intense and lyrical moments in bilingual format, while retaining a preface by Roberta Reeder and accompanying notes for Judith Hemschemeyer's translations. "We needn't worry again about how to read Akhmatova in translation." -The Observer (London) "In this restrained and accurate translation ... the sense and message strike with all the weight of the original." -New York Times Book Review

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Zephyr Press (October 1, 2000)
• Language: Russian, English
• ISBN-10: 0939010615
• ISBN-13: 978-0939010615
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #575,120 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Lyric Poet, admirable translation and selection, July 2, 2001

By 

Nessander - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Selected Poems of Anna Akhmatova (Paperback)

Anna Akhmatova not only lived through some of the most exciting, dangerous, and horrific times in Russian and Soviet history, she was also blessed with an incredible lyrical gift in writing poetry. Collected here, in admirable translations and with the original Russian, are over a hundred of her finer (shorter) poems. The passion and intensity of this poet are clearly visible from the start, from her early love poems of "Tskarskoye Selo" to her later, more serious, "Requiem".

Readers who know enough Russian to read the cyrillic text will appreciate Akhmatova's musical lyricism, the alliteration and natural rhymes and cadences she is able to (so easy, seemingly!) create. The English translations naturally do not have this music, despite the very valiant attempts to recreate it by Hemschemeyer. She usually gets the cadence, rhythm and stress pretty well, but... well... it's never the same. However, since the poetry is difficult, those who have some Russian (but not perfect, like myself) will really enjoy having both languages present on opposing pages.

This is a chief complaint I have with the "Complete Poems", by the way, which have 800 poems, a lot of essays and tons of beautiful photographs, but NO RUSSIAN ORIGINALS! Argh. What is that? The translations are much less than half the worth of these poems.

One big complaint with this volume, though, is that it leaves out Akhmatova's major long poem, "Poem without a Hero". It baffles me why it wasn't included in this volume, even though it runs a bit long. They should have added it to the end. The editor's notes that a subsequent volume of "Poem without a Hero" is forthcoming on its own is small consolation...

There are short introductions (abridged from the "Complete Poems" and not terribly interesting), and some notes at the end (somewhat useful).

So, this is a great poet, and this may be one of the better editions for readers. Because of the slight complaints, it only gets four stars, but Akhmatova herself deserves all five!