Anna Akhmatova

Andrey Kneller

Anna Akhmatova (June 23, 1889 – March 5, 1966) is considered by many to be one of the greatest Russian poets of the Silver Age. Her works range from short lyric love poetry to longer, more complex cycles, such as Requiem, a tragic depiction of the Stalinist terror. One of the forefront leaders of the Acmeism movement, which focused on rigorous form and directness of words, she was a master of conveying raw emotion in her portrayals of everyday situations. During the time of heavy censorship and persecution, her poetry gave voice to the Russian people. Anna Akhmatova published the collection "White Flock" in 1917. Joseph Brodsky later described this volume as writing of personal lyricism tinged with the “note of controlled terror.” Today, it remains among her most celebrated publications. It is presented here in full, in a dual-language book, translated by Andrey Kneller.

Poetry of Anna Akhmatova

White Flock

Anna Akhmatova (June 23, 1889 - March 5, 1966) is considered by many to be one of the greatest Russian poets of the Silver Age. Although true fame and recognition did not come until her later, “Evening,” her first poetry collection, had caught the attention of many prominent literary critics of the time and helped to solidify her career as a writer. One of the forefront leaders of the Acmeism movement, which focused on rigorous form and directness of words, she was a master of conveying raw emotion in her portrayals of everyday situations. Her works range from short lyric love poetry to longer, more complex cycles, such as Requiem, a tragic depiction of the Stalinist terror. During the time of heavy censorship and persecution, her poetry gave voice to the Russian people. To this day, she remains one of Russia's most beloved poets and has left a lasting impression on generations of poets that came after her.

Evening

Anna Akhmatova (June 23, 1889 - March 5, 1966) is considered by many to be one of the greatest Russian poets of the Silver Age. One of the forefront leaders of the Acmeism movement, which focused on rigorous form and directness of words, she was a master of conveying raw emotion in her portrayals of everyday situations. Her works range from short lyric love poetry to longer, more complex cycles, such as Requiem, a tragic depiction of the Stalinist terror. During the time of heavy censorship and persecution, her poetry gave voice to the Russian people. To this day, she remains one of Russia's most beloved poets and has left a lasting impression on generations of poets that came after her. Rosary, published in 1914, is Akhmatova's second book, and one of her most popular collections. After its publication, Akhmatova became a household name and further established her place among the greatest Russian poets.

Rosary

Selected Poetry of Vladimir Mayakovsky, includes his shorter lyrical poems, as well as "A Cloud in Trousers," "The Backbone Flute" and "I love"

Backbone Flute

Marina T︠S︡vetaeva

Bilingual Edition of selected poetry of Marina Tsvetaeva.

My Poems

This is a bilingual edition of Anna Akhmatova's poetry.

Selected Poetry of Anna Akhmatova

Final Meeting

Alexander Blok

Alexander Blok (November 28, 1880 - August 7, 1921) was a major poet of the Russian Symbolism movement. His early poetry was dominated by the theme of searching for his ideal beauty. Sound, rhythm, color and repetition played a crucial part in setting the mood and conveying emotions in his writing. With subsequent collections, the focus shifted to depicting human psychology. His writing became more ironic and pessimistic, as he struggled to balance his quest for an ideal with his disenchantment in everyday life. In the later stages of his career, he wrote predominately about political themes and the changes that were happening in Russia. To this day, he is considered by many to be the most important Russian poet since Alexander Pushkin, and his work would have a lasting influence on the likes of Anna Akhmatova, Boris Pasternak and Marina Tsvetaeva, among other prominent poets of the Silver Age. This dual-language collection of his poetry seeks to represent the continuum of Alexander Blok's growth as a poet, with particular attention paid to the rhythm and melody of his writing.

Selected Poetry

The Stranger

One of the greatest poets of the Silver Age, Boris Pasternak (February 10, 1890 - May 30, 1960) became known in the west after he was awarded the 1958 Nobel Laureate in Literature and was forced by the Russian authorities to decline the prize. This scandal won him a large audience in the west and his novel, Dr. Zhivago became an instant success. However, contrary to popular belief, Boris Pasternak has never actively rebelled against the Soviet regime. His poetry has always reflected his inner self and was not dictated by the atmosphere of the epoch. In Russia, where the novel, Dr, Zhivago, had been banned until the late 1980's, Boris Pasternak was primarily known for his work as a poet. Boris Pasternak, whose first true love was music, brings a unique sense of melody to his poetry. Barely a whisper, one almost needs to overhear the subtle song in his words. It is this quality of his poetry that sets him apart from his contemporaries and makes his work moving and unforgettable. Nearly all of the poems from Dr. Zhivago (with the exceptions of "Wedding," "Star of Nativity," and "The Miracle," which proved to be too difficult to translate adequately) are included in this dual-language edition, as well as some other poetry written throughout his life. Great emphasis has been placed on retaining the musical quality of the work, without sacrificing the content.

Andrey Kneller

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