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Five Poems
A small, dual-language selection of poetry from one of the most beloved Russian poets of the 20th century, Sergei Yesenin.
- GenresPoetry
22 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 2, 2014
About the author
Sergei Yesenin
256 books277 followersSergei Alexandrovich Yesenin [Сергей Александрович Есенин], 1895-1925, sometimes spelled as Esenin, was a Russian lyric poet. He is one of the most popular and well-known Russian poets of the 20th century, known for "his lyrical evocations of and nostalgia for the village life of his childhood - no idyll, presented in all its rawness, with an implied curse on urbanisation and industrialisation."
Born of peasant parents, he received very little formal education, and although he later traveled quite extensively it was the pre-revolution countryside of his youth that served as inspiration for most of his poetry. Yesenin initially supported the Bolshevik revolution, thinking that it would prove beneficial to the peasant class, but he became disenchanted when he saw that it would lead only to the industrialization of Russia. A longing for a return to the simplicity of the peasant lifestyle characterizes his work, as does his innovative use of images drawn from village lore. He is credited with helping to establish the Imaginist movement in Russian literature.
Yesenin led an erratic, unconventional life that was punctuated by bouts of drunkenness and insanity. Before hanging himself in a Leningrad hotel, Yesenin slit his wrists, and, using his own blood, wrote a farewell poem.
Associated Names:
Сергей Есенин (Russian)
Sergej Jessenin (German)
Born of peasant parents, he received very little formal education, and although he later traveled quite extensively it was the pre-revolution countryside of his youth that served as inspiration for most of his poetry. Yesenin initially supported the Bolshevik revolution, thinking that it would prove beneficial to the peasant class, but he became disenchanted when he saw that it would lead only to the industrialization of Russia. A longing for a return to the simplicity of the peasant lifestyle characterizes his work, as does his innovative use of images drawn from village lore. He is credited with helping to establish the Imaginist movement in Russian literature.
Yesenin led an erratic, unconventional life that was punctuated by bouts of drunkenness and insanity. Before hanging himself in a Leningrad hotel, Yesenin slit his wrists, and, using his own blood, wrote a farewell poem.
Associated Names:
Сергей Есенин (Russian)
Sergej Jessenin (German)
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 19, 2017
I crumbled up the letter,
filled with fright.
Could there be no escape,
Won't things get better?
But, all that I am thinking
I will write
And I'll explain it all
Within my letter...
Five poems, five stars for a beloved poet of mine.
filled with fright.
Could there be no escape,
Won't things get better?
But, all that I am thinking
I will write
And I'll explain it all
Within my letter...
Five poems, five stars for a beloved poet of mine.
May 22, 2020
Haunting poetry, lovely translation
Yesenin's poetry is lyrical and haunting. The pain of the artist comes through in this translation. Well done. Thank you for allowing the West to find Sergei and appreciate his work.
Yesenin's poetry is lyrical and haunting. The pain of the artist comes through in this translation. Well done. Thank you for allowing the West to find Sergei and appreciate his work.
July 14, 2017
*Book Riot Read Harder Challenge 2017*
[Read a book of poetry in translation.]
[Read a book of poetry in translation.]
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews