Bones Will Crow: An Anthology of Burmese Poetry

by James Byrne (Editor), ko ko thett (Editor)

This is the first anthology of contemporary Burmese poets published in the United States and it includes the work of Burmese poets who have been in exile and in prison. The poems include global references from a culture in which foreign books and the Internet are regarded with suspicion and where censorship is an industry. The poets have been ingenious in their use of metaphor to escape surveillance and censorship, writing post-modern, avant-garde, performance, and online poetries. The anthology reveals the transition of Burmese poetry from traditionalism to modernism, as well as the development of Burmese poetry over the second half of the twentieth century, as Myanmar has changed. Through their wildly diverse styles, these poems delight in the freedom to experiment with poetic tradition.

Genres: Poetry

172 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2012

Reviews

[Nyan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I understand Burmese and also have the benefit of understanding cultural nuances as well as the political atmosphere that gave birth to these poems.

I really like this collection mostly because there are both English and Burmese languages here.

While I definitely enjoy reading these poems in original Burmese, English is helpful because the language used in English translation is considerably simpler. So, in some ways, I can use that translation as commentary to really understand some of the poems because let’s face it, Burmese LANGUAGE poetry is not the most simple of poetry.

There are a few editorial errors in Burmese pages.

[Leonard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting. A collection of Burmese poetry translated with both the Burmese and the English side by side. Includes three female Burmese poets. I cannot read the Burmese but the writing sure looks beautiful.

[Greg Bem · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decent selection of Burmese poetry. I wish there were more young/new poets in the mix, but so it goes. I appreciated the work done to introduce the landscape of poetry within the country and the individual poets themselves. It's great that this book exists.

[Jack Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Nicole Kroger Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

#readtheworld Myanmar/Burma

[Saul Chan Htoo Sang · Rating 4 out of 5]

James Byrne and Ko Ko Thet did an incredible job collecting poems from a handful of poets who are most comfortable on the frontline of literary movements in Myanmar.

The translation from Burmese to English has issues with the flow of concepts in the poems. But as a bi-lingual reader, I was able to dig deep into the poems without much problems.

Also, the introductory essay on khitpyaing literary style/writers in Myanmar by Zeyer Lynn is an important essay for any student/learner of Myanmar literary scene!

Recommended to those looking for a decent anthology of Bamar poetry both in Bamar and English languages.