THE YELLOW CANARY WHOSE EYE IS SO BLACK

by Cheli--Ed. & Trans. Duran ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 28, 1978

Despite certain striking, technically mandated omissions (Alfonsina Storni, Carlos Drummond de Andrade), this bilingual anthology stands as one of the most comprehensive and well-planned volumes of Latin-American verse to date. The editor-translator guides us through these volatile and enigmatic regions from the folk poems of pre-Columbian times to the astonishing nco-surrealism of the present. The verse is selected and arranged, moreover, so as to demonstrate the development of each writer's poetic, human, and political concerns--in the case of Octavio Paz, for instance, from the sprawling political poem ""Hymn Among Ruins"" to the very personal; sexually mysterious ""Odds or Evens."" The translations are more than adequate, and except for an occasional romanticization of content, are true to the colloquial rhythms and emotional intensity of the original Spanish. With an informative introduction and a concise historical note on each writer, this collection provides entry into an influential world of poetry in a way which makes the work accessible not only as art but as a cultural artifact.

Pub Date: Nov. 28, 1978

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Macmillan

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1978

Categories: NONFICTION