The Word That Causes Death’s Defeat: Poems of Memory (Annals of Communism)

Anna Akhmatova (1889–1966), one of twentieth-century Russia’s greatest poets, was viewed as a dangerous element by post-Revolution authorities. One of the few unrepentant poets to survive the Bolshevik revolution and subsequent Stalinist purges, she set for herself the artistic task of preserving the memory of pre-Revolutionary cultural heritage and of those who had been silenced. This book presents Nancy K. Anderson’s superb translations of three of Akhmatova’s most important poems: __Requiem,__ a commemoration of the victims of Stalin’s Terror; __The Way of All the Earth,__ a work to which the poet returned repeatedly over the last quarter-century of her life and which combines Old Russian motifs with the modernist search for a lost past; and __Poem Without a Hero,__ widely admired as the poet’s magnum opus. Each poem is accompanied by extensive commentary. The complex and allusive __Poem Without a Hero__ isalso provided with an extensive critical commentary that draws on the poet’s manuscripts and private notebooks. Anderson offers relevant facts about the poet’s life and an overview of the political and cultural forces that shaped her work. The resulting volume enables English-language readers to gain a deeper level of understanding of Akhmatova’s poems and how and why they were created. Anna Akhmatova (1889–1966), one of twentieth-century Russia’s greatest poets, was viewed as a dangerous element by post-Revolution authorities. One of the few unrepentant poets to survive the Bolshevik revolution and subsequent Stalinist purges, she set for herself the artistic task of preserving the memory of pre-Revolutionary cultural heritage and of those who had been silenced. This book presents Nancy K. Anderson’s superb translations of three of Akhmatova’s most important poems: Requiem, a commemoration of the victims of Stalin’s Terror; The Way of All the Earth, a work to which the poet returned repeatedly over the last quarter-century of her life and which combines Old Russian motifs with the modernist search for a lost past; and Poem Without a Hero, widely admired as the poet’s magnum opus. Each poem is accompanied by extensive commentary. The complex and allusive Poem Without a Hero is also provided with an extensive critical commentary that draws on the poet’s manuscripts and private notebooks. Anderson offers relevant facts about the poet’s life and an overview of the political and cultural forces that shaped her work. The resulting volume enables English-language readers to gain a deeper level of understanding of Akhmatova’s poems and how and why they were created. Anna Akhmatova (18891966), one of twentieth-century Russias greatest poets, was viewed as a dangerous element by post-Revolution authorities. One of the few unrepentant poets to survive the Bolshevik revolution and subsequent Stalinist purges, she set for herself the artistic task of preserving the memory of pre-Revolutionary cultural heritage and of those who had been silenced. This book presents Nancy K. Andersons superb translations of three of Akhmatovas most important poems: Requiem, a commemoration of the victims of Stalins Terror; The Way of All the Earth, a work to which the poet returned repeatedly over the last quarter-century of her life and which combines Old Russian motifs with the modernist search for a lost past; and Poem Without a Hero, widely admired as the poets magnum opus. Each poem is accompanied by extensive commentary. The complex and allusive Poem Without a Hero is also provided with an extensive critical commentary that draws on the poets manuscripts and private notebooks. Anderson offers relevant facts about the poets life and an overview of the political and cultural forces that shaped her work. The resulting volume enables English-language readers to gain a much deeper level of understanding of Akhmatovas poems and how and why they were created. "Anna Akhmatova (1889-1966), one of twentieth-century Russia's greatest poets, was viewed as a dangerous element, by post-Revolution authorities. One of the few unrepentant poets to survive the Bolshevik revolution and subsequent Stalinist purges she set for herself the artistic task of preserving the memory of prerevolutionary cultural heritage and of those who had been silenced. This book presents Nancy K. Anderson's translations of three of Akhmatova's most important poems." "Each poem is accompanied by extensive commentary. The complex and allusive Poem Without a Hero is also provided with an extensive critical commentary that draws on the poet's manuscripts and private notebooks. Anderson offers relevant facts about the poet's life and an overview of the political and cultural forces that shaped her work. The resulting volume enables English-language readers to gain a deeper level of understanding of Akhmatova's poems and how and why they were created."--BOOK JACKET. Youth And Early Fame, 1889-1916 -- Revolution And Civil War, 1917-1922 -- Outcast In The New Order, 1922-1935 -- Terror And The Muse, 1936-1941 -- War And Late Stalinism, 1941-1953 -- Late Fame And Final Years, 1953-1966 -- Requiem -- The Way Of All The Earth -- Poem Without A Hero -- Bearing The Burden Of Witness : Requiem -- Forward Into The Past : The Way Of All The Earth -- Rediscovering A Lost Generation : Poem Without A Hero -- Commentary On Poem Without A Hero. Anna Akhmatova ; Translated, With An Introductory Biography, Critical Essays, And Commentary, By Nancy K. Anderson. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Anna Akhmatova, one of 20th-century Russia's greatest poets, was viewed as a dangerous element by post-Russian authorities because of her desire to maintain the nation's pre-Revolutionary cultural heritage. This title is a collection of her poems, providing an insight into Russian life at a time of great political change.