Contemporary Foreign Poetry Masterpieces: A Guide (Volume 1 and 2)

Author: Chen Chao
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-01-01
Features: This book is a specialized and readable guide to contemporary poetry, featuring selected works from foreign poetry since the 1940s. It includes 283 poems by 104 poets from 33 countries. The arrangement of poets follows the order of the Americas, Europe, Latin America, Oceania, Africa, and Asia; within each country, poets are listed by birth date. Most of the selected poems are well-known masterpieces, with a focus on short poems, though some significant long poems with major literary historical importance are also included. The introductory essays combine "close reading" and "aesthetic appreciation analysis" to provide an in-depth interpretation of the intrinsic meaning and form of the poems. At the beginning of each poet's section, a brief introduction is provided on their life, creative path, thematic focus, poetic lineage, and stylistic individuality. For core figures in major poetic movements or masters, comprehensive discussions covering history, theory, and criticism are further elaborated. The translators selected for this book are mostly renowned experts in the translation of poetry from different languages. Most of the translated poems have been published before, while some are specially chosen by the translators for this book. The modern poetic and philosophical terms used in the introductory essays are explained clearly within the specific context.