Versos Sencillos: Simple Verses (Recovering the U.S. Hispanic Literary Heritage Project) [Hardcover]

Jose Marti (Author), Manuel A. Tellechea (Author)

Book Description

Series: Recovering the U.S. Hispanic Literary Heritage Project | Publication Date: February 1998

"Versos Sencillos/Simple Verses" is the first translation edition of Cuban master Jose Marti's classic book of poems. The 19th-century literary great and philosopher was one of the most influential literary figures across the expanse of the Americas, and these poems were written during his years of exile and revolutionary plotting in the United States.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This bilingual edition, translated by a Cuban American living in Union City, NJ, is the first complete rendering of the classic Versos sencillos, written by Cuban poet and patriot Marti. One of the great political and literary figures of the 19th century, Marti lived most of his life in exile, conducting his struggle for freedom from the United States and several Latin American countries and finally dying while fighting against the Spanish in his native Cuba. This edition of a classic of Latin American literature is part of the effort of Arte Publico Press and the University of Houston to recover and disseminate the U.S. Hispanic literary heritage. Tellechea's excellent translation and introduction brings Marti to life for both Spanish- and English-speaking Latinos, and the modest price allows a wide spectrum of readers to become acquainted with or reacquainted with Marti's spiritual autobiography. Recommended for public and academic libraries.?Carmen J. Palmieri
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

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-- Table of Poems from Poem Finder®

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 123 pages
• Publisher: Arte Publico Pr (February 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558852182
• ISBN-13: 978-1558852181
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,003,629 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A New Side of Jose Marti, September 16, 2000

By 

Roland Gray (Nashville, TN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Versos Sencillos: Simple Verses (Recovering the U.S. Hispanic Literary Heritage Project) (Hardcover)

The thing that struck me about this book is that i always thought of Jose Marti as a sort of revolutionary firebrand. Reading this book, however, I realized what a strong spiritual connection he had with the universe. The poetry is what you would expect from a spiritual teacher like the Dalai Lama. This poetry demonstrates an aspect of Jose Marti's character I never before appreciated.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An important achievement in Cuban literature, July 23, 2001

By 

Michael J. Mazza - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Versos Sencillos: Simple Verses (Recovering the Us Hispanic Literary Heritage) (Pinata Books for Young Adults) (Paperback)

"Simple Verses" is a collection of poems by Jose Marti (1853-1895), the 19th century Cuban poet and revolutionary who spent many years in exile in the United States. This is a bilingual edition, with the Spanish originals and English versions on facing pages. The translation into English is by Manuel A. Tellechea. Tellechea also contributes an excellent introduction which includes fascinating biographical information about Marti. The poems are untitled; each is assigned a Roman numeral.

Marti writes about romance, nature, family, and other subjects. Many of his poems are political and revolutionary in nature: he condemns Spanish colonial violence in Cuba, expresses his anti-slavery position, and identifies with the oppressed: "With the earth's poor everywhere, / I shall cast my lot" (poem III). In his marriage of poetry with politics and social justice, Marti foreshadows many of Latin America's 20th century poets: Gioconda Belli of Nicaragua, Roberto Sosa of Honduras, Juan Gelman of Argentina, and others, especially especially Pablo Neruda of Chile.

Many of Marti's poems appear to be autobiographical in nature. Some of his poems are dark and macabre in tone, others prophetic and even ecstatic. He sometimes reflects on his own poetic work: "My verse is like a dagger / At whose hilt a flower grows" (poem V). His best work, as interpreted by Tellechea, has a compelling freshness and beauty.

I only found one aspect of the book troublesome. Most of Marti's poems are written in four line stanzas, and in each poem he generally sticks to a constant rhyme scheme from stanza to stanza: ABBA or ABAB. But in his English versions, Tellechea sometimes mixes up the ABBA and ABAB schemes within poems, without any logical pattern and contradictory to Marti's originals; I found these switches very distracting.

Still, this is an excellent volume by a significant figure in Latin American literary history. And the rhyme scheme issue aside, I commend and thank Tellechea for making these "Simple Verses" available in English.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Versos sencillos/Simple Verses ISBN# 1-55885-204-2 José Martí, April 4, 2011

By 

Jose Lopez "Jose Lopez" (Miami,Florida USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Versos Sencillos: Simple Verses (Recovering the Us Hispanic Literary Heritage) (Pinata Books for Young Adults) (Paperback)

Versos sencillos/Simple Verses ISBN# 1-55885-204-2,123 pages,José Julián Martí Pérez With introduction by
Manuel A.Tellechea.

Beautiful Poetry by the only Poet I care about and that matters to me,Although in Spanish(I like to Say Cuban Spanish) it is even more Beautiful than the translated English,A Patriot of Cuba,A TRUE Freedom Fighter.Despite being hijacked for Communist Causes,Castro Propaganda machine sadly uses it even though Martí would be rolling in his Grave.

Un Patriota y Verdereo Cubano no Un Monstre como los Communistas y Castristas.