Bewilderment: New Poems and Translations (Phoenix Poets)

Winner of the National Book Award for Poetry. "This is one of the great books of poetry of this young century."—Dan Chiasson, The New Yorker To read David Ferry's Bewilderment is to be reminded that poetry of the highest order can be made by the subtlest of means. The passionate nature and originality of Ferry's prosodic daring works astonishing transformations that take your breath away. In poem after poem, his diction modulates beautifully between plainspoken high eloquence and colloquial vigor, making his distinctive speech one of the most interesting and ravishing achievements of the past half century. Most poets write inside a very narrow range of experience and feeling, whether in free or metered verse. But Ferry's use of meter tends to enhance the colloquial nature of his writing, while giving him access to an immense variety of feeling. Sometimes that feeling is so powerful it's like witnessing a volcanologist taking measurements in the midst of an eruption. Ferry's translations, meanwhile, are amazingly acclimated English poems. Once his voice takes hold of them they are as bred in the bone as all his other work. And the translations in this book are vitally related to the original poems around them. "These poems highlight an age-old quest for truth that leads the speaker to consider his present and past, and to translate works by Horace, Virgil, Catullus and others . . . vivid and sometimes heartbreaking."— The Washington Post "Astonishing—a haunted book where ghosts prove that the haunted are still alive and allow for the continuing company of literature."— Slate "A necessary book . . . shocking and heartbreaking."— The Rumpus To Read David Ferry's Bewilderment Is To Be Reminded That Poetry Of The Highest Order Can Be Made By The Subtlest Of Means. The Passionate Nature And Originality Of Ferry's Prosodic Daring Works Astonishing Transformations That Take Your Breath Away. In Poem After Poem, His Diction Modulates Beautifully Between Plainspoken High Eloquence And Colloquial Vigor, Making His Distinctive Speech One Of The Most Interesting And Ravishing Achievements Of The Past Half Century. Ferry Has Fully Realized Both The Potential For Vocal Expressiveness In His Phrasing And The Way His Phrasing Plays Against--and With--his Genius For Metrical Variation. His Vocal Phrasing Thus Becomes An Amazingly Flexible Instrument Of Psychological And Spiritual Inquiry. Most Poets Write Inside A Very Narrow Range Of Experience And Feeling, Whether In Free Or Metered Verse. But Ferry's Use Of Meter Tends To Enhance The Colloquial Nature Of His Writing, While Giving Him Access To An Immense Variety Of Feeling. Sometimes That Feeling Is So Powerful It's Like Witnessing A Volcanologist Taking Measurements In The Midst Of An Eruption. Ferry's Translations, Meanwhile, Are Amazingly Acclimated English Poems. Once His Voice Takes Hold Of Them They Are As Bred In The Bone As All His Other Work. And The Translations In This Book Are Vitally Related To The Original Poems Around Them--provided By Publisher. Acknowledgements -- One/ Narcissus -- Found Single-line Poems -- One Two Three Four Five -- Soul -- Untitled -- The Intentions -- Your Personal God (from Horace, Epistles 11.2) -- Two/ Dedication To His Book (catullus I) -- Brunswick, Maine, Early Winter, 2000 -- Martial 1.101 -- Measure 100 -- Ancestral Lines -- Entreaty -- October -- Spring (from Virgil, Georgics Ii) -- Anguilla (eugenio Montale, L'anguilla) -- In The Reading Room -- Three/ Coffee Lips -- Incubus -- At The Street Corner (rilke, Das Lied Des Zwerges) -- The Late-hour Poem -- At A Bar -- To Varus (horace, Odes 1.18) -- Somebody In A Bar -- In Despair (cavafy, En Apognosi) -- Dido In Despair (from Virgil, Aeneid Iv) -- Catullus Ii -- Virgil, Aeneid Ii -- Thermopylae (cavafy, Thermopylae) -- Four/ Street Scene -- Willoughby Spit -- Everybody's Tree -- Five/ The Offering Of Isaac (from Genesis A, Anglo-saxon) -- Six/ Reading Arthur Gold's Poem Chest Cancer -- Reading Arthur Gold's Trolley Poem -- Reading Arthur Gold's Poem On The Beach At Asbury -- Reading Arthur Gold's Poem Rome, December 1973 -- Virgil, Aeneid Vi -- Reading Arthur Gold's Prose Poem Allegory -- Looking, Where Is The Mailbox? -- Seven/ Orpheus And Eurydice (from Virgil, Georgics Iv) -- Lake Water -- The White Skunk -- Virgil, Aenid Vi -- That Now Are Wild And Do Not Remember -- Untitled Dream Poem -- Eight/ The Departure From Fallen Troy (from Virgil, Aeneid Ii) -- To Where -- Resemblance -- Scrim -- Poem -- The Birds -- Notes. David Ferry Includes Bibliographical References. Winner of the 2012 National Book Award for Poetry. To read David Ferry's Bewilderment is to be reminded that poetry of the highest order can be made by the subtlest of means. The passionate nature and originality of Ferry's prosodic daring works astonishing transformations that take your breath away. In poem after poem, his diction modulates beautifully between plainspoken high eloquence and colloquial vigor, making his distinctive speech one of the most interesting and ravishing achievements of the past half century. Ferry has fully realized both the potential for vocal expressiveness in his phrasing and the way his phrasing plays against—and with—his genius for metrical variation. His vocal phrasing thus becomes an amazingly flexible instrument of psychological and spiritual inquiry. Most poets write inside a very narrow range of experience and feeling, whether in free or metered verse. But Ferry's use of meter tends to enhance the colloquial nature of his writing, while giving him access to an immense variety of feeling. Sometimes that feeling is so powerful it's like witnessing a volcanologist taking measurements in the midst of an eruption. Ferry's translations, meanwhile, are amazingly acclimated English poems. Once his voice takes hold of them they are as bred in the bone as all his other work. And the translations in this book are vitally related to the original poems around them. From Bewilderment: October The day was hot, and entirely breathless, so The remarkably quiet remarkably steady leaf fall Seemed as if it had no cause at all. The ticking sound of falling leaves was like The ticking sound of gentle rainfall as They gently fell on leaves already fallen, Or as, when as they passed them in their falling, Now and again it happened that one of them touched One or another leaf as yet not falling, Still clinging to the idea of being summer: As if the leaves that were falling, but not the day, Had read, and understood, the calendar. To read David Ferry's Bewilderment is to be reminded that poetry of the highest order can be made by the subtlest of means. The passionate nature and originality of Ferry's prosodic daring works astonishing transformations that take your breath away. In poem after poem, his diction modulates beautifully between plainspoken high eloquence and colloquial vigor, making his distinctive speech one of the most interesting and ravishing achievements of the past half century. Ferry has fully realized both the potential for vocal expressiveness in his phrasing and the way his phrasing plays against--and with--his genius for metrical variation. His vocal phrasing thus becomes an amazingly flexible instrument of psychological and spiritual inquiry. Most poets write inside a very narrow range of experience and feeling, whether in free or metered verse. But Ferry's use of meter tends to enhance the colloquial nature of his writing, while giving him access to an immense variety of feeling. Sometimes that feeling is so powerful it's like witnessing a volcanologist taking measurements in the midst of an eruption. Ferry's translations, meanwhile, are amazingly acclimated English poems. Once his voice takes hold of them they are as bred in the bone as all his other work. And the translations in this book are vitally related to the original poems around them.--Résumé de l'éditeur The author has fully realized both the potential for vocal expressiveness in his phrasing and the way his phrasing plays against - and with - his genius for metrical variation, thus becoming an amazingly flexible instrument of psychological and spiritual inquiry and which gives him access to an immense variety of feeling.