Twentieth Century Russian Poetry

by Yevgeny Yevtushenko

A massive, comprehensive anthology of poetry from the politically turbulent Russia of this century.  This collection introduces Americans to a number of astonishing poets virtually unknown outside of Russia, as well as presenting the work of some of the most prominent Russian poets of the past 90 years.

Genres: Poetry, Russia

1078 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Евгений Евтушенко
Yevgeny Aleksandrovich Yevtushenko (Russian: Евгений Александрович Евтушенко; born 18 July 1933 in Zima Junction, Siberia) is a Soviet and Russian poet. He is also a novelist, essayist, dramatist, screenwriter, actor, editor, and a director of several films.

Reviews

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an ongoing reference book--I'm not sure that every translation's really the best, usually prefer the Modern Russian Poetry ed. by Markov and Sparks in the bilingual edition--but there are so many wonderful poets and poems which don't appear in Markov/Sparks, (250+ poets) I keep them side by side on the bookshelf, use both of them prodigiously.

Silver and Steel refers to the poets of the well-known Silver Age of Russian poetry (from the fin de siecle and the symbolists--Blok etc. to Mandelstam, Akhmatova, Tsvetaeva and Pasternak, Mayakovsky, the great poets born before 1900, and includes plus their wonderful but lesser known colleagues such as Khodosevich and Khelbnikov), as well as lesser-known (in the West) poetry from throughout the Soviet era.

The volume itself divides its offerings into its own four categories, the last three being less familiar to Western readers--what he calls Children of the Golden Age--poets born before 1900; Children of the Silver Age--poets born before the Revolution; Children of the Steel Ag--poets born before WWII, and Children of Omega and Alpha--Poets born after WWII. It's a hugely informative collection, in that thoughtful biographies of EACH poet are included, as are the relationships between the various poets, both personal and literary/influential, giving us a brilliant look into in this seething literary world.

I used to be a Yevtushenko scoffer--far preferring his contemporaries Andrei Voznesensky and Bella Akhmadulina, to whom Yevtushenko had been married, and of course the great Joseph Brodsky. I'd always seen Yevtushenko more as an okay poet who was very good at wowing a crowd, and working the politics of his time, (Brodsky famously said of Yevtushenko ”He throws stones only in directions that are sanctioned and approved.”)

But this anthology really was a feat, and Yevtushenko did make room for a generation of poets with his useful political agillity, just-on-the-borderline ability to get along with the regime, which Brodsky noted with such scorn-- and his poetry readings filled stadiums (oh that we could have that in America today!!). And if he puts in 19 pages of his own work, well, there's also 18 of Voznesensky, 21 of Akhmadulina, including her great "Fairy Tale about the Rain", and 20 for Brodsky...But he's surprisingly short on Akhmatova.

What's great is that he doesn't separate the Russians in exile from the Russians at home--a big deal in the 1980s. A terrific introduction to the literature of modern Russia and its history.

In case you get this and don't know where to start, try:
Blok's "From Dances of Death: The Night, the street, the drugstore, the lamp"--there's a very good clip on Youtube of a woman reading this in English..., also "In the Dunes."
Mandelstam's "A Body was Given to Me." and "Leningrad."
Khlebnikov "Once Again, Once Again" and "Manifesto of the presidents of the Terrestrial globe"
Gumilev (who was married to Akhmatova)--"The Tram that Lost Its Way" (the Lost Streetcar)
Khodosevich "Twilight was Turning" and "Amidst a Smoking Desolation."
Akhmatova "In the Evening" and "I Am Not One of those..." "When a Man Dies..." "REquiem"
Pasternak: "February" "From Superstition." "To Be Famous..."
Ehrenberg: "I lived Obscurely."
Tsvetayeva: "The Poet." "An Attempt at Jealousy."
Mayakovsky: "Now Listen!" and "A Cloud in Trousers"
Ivanov: "If you Want to Live..."
Yesenin: (who was married to Isadora Duncan) "I do not Regret..." "From the Start." "The Black Man" (about Pushkin)
That'll get you started. Then look around in Voznesensky, Akhmudulina and Brodsky and you'll be on your way.

[Kate Savage · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read all 1,100 pages of this book, and racked up some library fines, so I'm entitled to do two things.

I'll end by telling everyone to read Russian poetry, but first, I'm lodging complaints:

This book is heavily dominated by male voices. Even the female poets they can't help but include are marked as coming from the margins. The editors have the gall to call Anna Akhmatova (Anna Akhmatova!) "one of the best woman poets of her time." And it's BECAUSE I hold library property sacred that I corrected the edition for future readers by crossing out 'woman.' For Marina Tsvetaeva (Marina Tsvetaeva!), they note with surprise that her poetry influenced "both men and women."

And maybe I'm stretching, but I sense a kind of machismo as well in their prioritization of poetry that is ABOUT Russia. The majority of the poems in here are deeply political and on a national scale. Manifesto poetry. I see the reasoning in this, at the same time it bores me a little bit. If you also yawn at epics and prefer instead personal words tied deep to the body-bound heart, you might want to read a different collection.

And for my second entitlement, I'm just going to gush over how great some of this poetry is. Mandelstam, Akhmatova, Pasternak, Tsvetaeva, Mayakovsky, Akhmadulina: not even bad editing could hide all this talent. Everyone: read poetry. I'm serious. Everyone: read Russian poetry.

Here's some lines to start with:

Some bits by Pasternak:

from MARBURG
Why am I frightened? As well as my grammar
I know my insomnia. We two are allied.
Then why do I dread, like a call from a madman,
My usual thoughts, so long known and well tried?

from TO A FRIEND
Does not the five-year plan decide my measure?
Does it not raise me high, does it not sink me low?
But then, how can I manage with my rib cage,
And everything that is more slow than slow?

from AUTUMN
You are the blessing on my baneful way,
When life has depths worse than disease can reach,
And courage is the only root of beauty,
And it is this that draws us each to each.

And Tsvetaeva:

from TWO SONGS
I know everything, don’t argue with me.
I can see now, I’m no longer a lover.
I understand wherever love has power
Death approaches soon, like a gardener.

from HOMESICKNESS
But my country has taken so little care
Of me that even the sharpest spy could
Go over my whole spirit and would
Detect no birthmark there!

And why not a bit of Mayakovsky?

from THE CLOUD IN TROUSERS
I used to think You were that almighty Godhead,
You ain’t no more than an ill-taught goddity,
pitiful and small
Watch me bend over
and take a flickknife
from inside my boot.
You winged scoundrels!
Get back to heaven where you belong!
Ruffle your feathers in a frightened rage!
Or I’ll open you up,
for all your stink of frankincense,
from here to Alaska.

Let me go!
Don’t leave me.
I’m lying.
I don’t know whether it is true,
but I can’t keep any calmer.
Look how they’ve knocked off the heads
of the stars and bloodied the sky with slaughter.

Hey you!
Heaven!
Bare your head, remove your hat!
I’m coming!

It’s deaf!

The universe is sleeping
with its enormous ear, tick-filled with stars
resting on its paws.

from AT THE TOP OF MY VOICE
But I
subdued
myself,
setting my heel
on the throat
of my own song.

(And on a car ride with Terry Tempest Williams I read these lines from Anna Akhmatova's piece Requiem "Instead of a preface":

In the terrible years of the Yezhov terror I spent seventeen months waiting in line outside the prison in Leningrad. One day somebody in the crowd identified me. Standing behind me was a woman, with lips blue from the cold, who had, of course, never heard me called by name before. now she started out of the torpor common to us all and asked me in a whisper (everyone whispered there):
“Can you describe this?”
And I said: “I can.”
Then something like a smile passed fleetingly over what had once been her face.

[J.M. Hushour · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christ, it'd be hard to top this one. 1000+ pages of pretty much every Russian poet you might ever need to know about. Sure, the biggies are all here and well-represented (Akhmatova, Mayakovsky, Voloshin, Pasternak, Akhmadulina, etc) but the real gems here are the scads, literally scores of poets you have probably never freaking heard of. So kudos to the compilers and editors for bringing these to the fore. A wonderful collection that should be emulated.

[Tatyana · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Asleep under an outstretched sky,
A great moon over your shoulder
Grew red mysteriously
Before the measureless dawn …"
-Alexander Blok (1880 - 1921), “Retribution” (1910)

"Do not go to her with questions,
you do not care – she’s had enough:
everything hurts – by love, or wheels
Or mire, has been crushed."
-Alexander Blok (1880 - 1921), “On The Railway” (1910)

"See, I’m nothing but a cloud, a cloud that’s full of fire.
See, I’m nothing but a cloud. Watch me floating by.
And I cry out to dreams …"
- Konstantin Balmont (1867 - 1942), “I don’t know the wisdom”

"As the drunkard is drawn to his ale,
So am I drawn … To you ?"
- Nikolay Glazkov (1919-1979), from “Khikhimora”

"And I ? …
I have no right to be silent
I am charged with words that burn."
- Mikhail Lukonin (1918-1976), from “My Friends” (1947)

[Leroy Wow · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a broad-ranging, rich collection. Only book I have found with English Language translations of Blok.

[Chelsea]

This was a gift given to me by a fellow Russia enthusiast, and I feel like I should confess that I haven't truly read it. I'd put it on my currently reading shelf, but it would never leave. It's been slow but enjoyable going so far.

I'm a little disappointed that I haven't found any poets I'm madly in love with yet, but I've found some truly excellent lines. And I still have most of the book in front of me, so I've got that going for me.

[annakatrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

a really extensive, exhaustive compilation. my first introduction to the world of russian poetry. and a book i will hold close to my heart por vida.

[Phillip · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstanding collection of Russian poetry, edited and organized into eras by Yevgeny Yevtushenko. A great selection for anyone interested in gaining exposure to many of Russia's finest poets.

[Takipsilim · Rating 5 out of 5]

The wealth of Russia's poetic legacy stunned and enthralled me.