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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
El Salvadoran native Alegria, the leading poetic spokesperson in support of the Sandinistas, currently lives in Nicaragua. Distanced from her anguished homeland, she attempts in her poetry to develop gentle themes. Thus this bilingual volume consists mainly of elegies and love poems. Many are mere aphorisms, however; "I left off being me/ and began forever/ being us," one entire poem reads. Sparse on imagery, these tidbits ask little from readers, and give little back. In numerous three-, four- and five-line poems, as in the volume's longer pieces, Flakoll's translation sticks close to the Spanish original. The excitement of transformation and discovery one finds in Carolyn Forche's translation of Alegria's poetry in Flowers from the Volcano is sorely lacking. The English versions here are littered with cliches: "the sun of my yesterdays," "you're under my skin," "the bosom of the earth." Demeter, Odysseus, Persephone and other figures from Greek mythology (whom Alegria calls upon to give their own accounts of exile) seem wholly out of place in both her physical and emotional landscape. Readers open this volume expecting the work of a master; instead it reads like a naive first collection. Translator Flakoll, the poet's U.S.
born husband, also collaborated with her on the novel, Ashes of Izalco.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
In a major departure for a poet primarily known for her work on the war in her native El Salvador, this collection has an elegaic, personal focus. The poet makes frequent use of classical myth, revised in a contemporary fashion, as when she has Penelope writing "It is preferable, Odysseus,/ that you don't return... / of my love for you/ not even embers remain." Many of the pieces look ahead to death, and the overall tone is valedictory regarding the things of this world, as in this poem, quoted entire: "What will die with me?/ Will your gaze/ Die in my pupils?" This bilingual edition features serviceable translations by the poet's husband, with only a few notable departures from the sense of the original. Eloquent, graceful, and brave meditations like these do much to amplify the range of Central American poetry beyond the clash of political contention and the clangor of slogans. Recommended for most collections.
- Frank J. Lepskowski, Oakland Univ. Lib., Rochester, Mich.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
See all Editorial Reviews
El Salvadoran native Alegria, the leading poetic spokesperson in support of the Sandinistas, currently lives in Nicaragua. Distanced from her anguished homeland, she attempts in her poetry to develop gentle themes. Thus this bilingual volume consists mainly of elegies and love poems. Many are mere aphorisms, however; "I left off being me/ and began forever/ being us," one entire poem reads. Sparse on imagery, these tidbits ask little from readers, and give little back. In numerous three-, four- and five-line poems, as in the volume's longer pieces, Flakoll's translation sticks close to the Spanish original. The excitement of transformation and discovery one finds in Carolyn Forche's translation of Alegria's poetry in Flowers from the Volcano is sorely lacking. The English versions here are littered with cliches: "the sun of my yesterdays," "you're under my skin," "the bosom of the earth." Demeter, Odysseus, Persephone and other figures from Greek mythology (whom Alegria calls upon to give their own accounts of exile) seem wholly out of place in both her physical and emotional landscape. Readers open this volume expecting the work of a master; instead it reads like a naive first collection. Translator Flakoll, the poet's U.S.
born husband, also collaborated with her on the novel, Ashes of Izalco.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
In a major departure for a poet primarily known for her work on the war in her native El Salvador, this collection has an elegaic, personal focus. The poet makes frequent use of classical myth, revised in a contemporary fashion, as when she has Penelope writing "It is preferable, Odysseus,/ that you don't return... / of my love for you/ not even embers remain." Many of the pieces look ahead to death, and the overall tone is valedictory regarding the things of this world, as in this poem, quoted entire: "What will die with me?/ Will your gaze/ Die in my pupils?" This bilingual edition features serviceable translations by the poet's husband, with only a few notable departures from the sense of the original. Eloquent, graceful, and brave meditations like these do much to amplify the range of Central American poetry beyond the clash of political contention and the clangor of slogans. Recommended for most collections.
- Frank J. Lepskowski, Oakland Univ. Lib., Rochester, Mich.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
See all Editorial Reviews
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Inside This Book Explore: Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages: Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover | Surprise Me! |
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
Life is a downpour whose brooding mutter confounds us until Death's wind cuts it short. Read the first page New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover |
Life is a downpour whose brooding mutter confounds us until Death's wind cuts it short. Read the first page New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover |