Translated and Introduced by Magnus J. Krynski and Robert A. Maguire
Regarded as one of the best representatives since World War II of the
rich and ancient art of poetry in Poland, Wislawa Szymborska (1923-2012)
is, in the translators' words, "that rarest of phenomena: a serious poet
who commands a large audience in her native land." The seventy poems in
this bilingual edition are among the largest and most representative
offering of her work in English, with particular emphasis on the period
since 1967. They illustrate virtually all her major themes and most of
her important techniques.
Describing Szymborka's poetry, Magnus Krynski and Robert Maguire write
that her verse is marked by high seriousness, delightful inventiveness,
a prodigal imagination, and enormous technical skill. She writes of the
diversity, plenitude, and richness of the world, taking delight in
observing and naming its phenomena. She looks on with wonder,
astonishment, and amusement, but almost never with despair.