Black Earth: Selected Poems and Prose

Osip Mandelstam is a legendary figure in modern Russian poetry, celebrated for his lyrical beauty and revolutionary engagement with the Stalinist era. His work in Voronezh developed into a "song of high velocity and exposed nerves," becoming more like a goldfinch tremolo. Peter France's translation of Mandelstam's work includes poems from throughout his life, from his early symbolist work to his haunting elegies and defiant "Stalin poem." Mandelstam's prose also provides warmth and insight into his childhood, Jewish heritage, Hellenism, and the importance of poetry in society.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 168 pages
Publication date: 13 July 2021
Publisher: New Directions Publishing Corporation

Osip Mandelstam has emerged as a nearly legendary figure in modern Russian poetry, his work revered worldwide for its exquisite lyrical beauty and groundbreaking, revolutionary exploration of the dark times of the Stalinist era. While he was exiled in the city of Voronezh, the black earth region of Russia, his work, as Joseph Brodsky observed, transformed into "a poetry of high velocity and exposed nerves, becoming more a song than ever before, not a bardlike but a birdlike song … something like a goldfinch tremolo."

Peter France, a masterful translator of Mandelstam's work for decades, has drawn extensively from Mandelstam's later poetry written in Voronezh, while also encompassing poems from across the entirety of the poet's tragically short life, from his early, symbolist work to the haunting elegies of old Petersburg to his defiant "Stalin poem." A selection of Mandelstam's prose illuminates the poetry with warmth and insight as he reflects on his childhood in Petersburg and contemplates his Jewish heritage, the sunlit qualities of Hellenism, Dante's Tuscany, and the centrality of poetry in society.

Osip Mandelstam's legacy as a poet continues to resonate deeply, transcending borders and generations. His profound insights into the human condition, his unwavering commitment to social justice, and his unparalleled poetic craftsmanship have earned him a place among the greatest poets of all time. Through his words, Mandelstam has given us a glimpse into the darkness of the Stalinist era and a testament to the power of art to inspire and transform. His work remains a treasure that continues to inspire and challenge us today.

Weight: 190g
Dimension: 187 x 480 x 13 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780811230971