Listen! Early Poems (City Lights Pocket Poets Series)

very nice small book of poems. a quick pleasurable read in the surealist vien a bit beffore the surrealists existed.

"Listen! Early Poems 1913-1918," by Vladimir Mayakovsky, features poems translated into English by Maria Enzensberger. Also included is a foreword by Elaine Feinstein. This 63-page book has been published as Pocket Poets Series No. 47.This book was my introduction to the voice of Russian poet Mayakovsky (1893-1930). In her interesting introduction translator Enzensberger puts his work in context. She includes a humorous and charming story about the beginning of his poetic career, and also discusses his relationship to the futurist movement. The book reproduces a rich selection of visual materials: photos, lithographs, drawings, and even some of Mayakovsky's own handwritten notes.Mayakovsky's poetry is fascinating. His voice is full of absurdism and playful humor. Yet the poetry is also touched by a tragic vision; his voice sounds genuinely compassionate towards beings (both human and non-human) that are suffering. The poems raise lofty theological issues, yet remain grounded in very concrete and specific worldly things: smoked sardines, manure, galoshes, etc. A number of pieces deal with poetry itself.Mayakovsky's language, as rendered into English by Enzensberger, has a wonderfully muscular, meaty, yet musical quality--truly poetry that should be read aloud. At times Mayakovsky's vision and voice reminded me of those of Pablo Neruda and Walt Whitman, whom I see as his poetic soul brothers. At his best, Mayakovsky has a poetic voice that is graced with prophecy and magic.

A classy, stylish little book, with Russian and transliterated English printed on facing pages. Some of Mayakovsky's art, too, in black and white. I don't think it has the scope or selection you would want for a collection, but it's a really fine volume for a gift, for something small, for a little dose of one of 'the' Russian poets of the 20th century.