Poems

Rating:
Summary: A Fascinating Glimpse into Hesse's Poetic Mind
Review: It is unfortunate, though Hesse always thought of himself first as a poet, readers who are not fluent in German rarely get to read any of his poetry. Highly lyrical and Romantic, Hesse's poems remind his readers that the world he was most comfortable in was the creation of the German poets in the century which preceded him. Highly reminiscent of Holderin with a bit of Goethe thrown in for style, all of the poems selected are eminently readable. James Wright has gone for a literal translation, and in many cases causes the poems to loose the musical charm his words have in German. For those who, like me, are critical of translations, the German text for each poem is also included. Anyone with an interest in Hesse or in the twentieth century canon should defintely read this book.

Rating:
Summary: Short & Sweet
Review: It shows the excellent ability of Hesse in mastering both styles of writing. His style in writing poems is magnificant, and very clear. I am sure the translation is still weaker than the original german language, but nevertheless it is a highly recommended book to read.

If you are a Hesse fan, you will enjoy this even more.

Rating:
Summary: Poems of longing and seperation
Review: This is one of my favorite anthologies of poetry, worth reading repeatedly. It captures the spirit of a man, so much like us all, who longs for that something beyond the next hill or behind the wistful smile. How many of us sense intuitively that life is wrapped in a mystery, the veil of separation thin? Hesse's poetry, like his novels, reminds me that even though the inner meaning to life often seems just beyond my reach, it is none the less to be found in the quotidian activities of breathing the fresh air, cutting the finger on the edge of a dish, or listening to Bach as I clean the garage. Written almost 90 years ago, his poetry still rings true to the wandering steppenwolfe in each one of us. "The Gate of Heaven is everywhere."

You may also be captivated by another moving anthology of poetry, "Against Forgetting". It is an anthology of 20th century poems of witness, suffering, and hope.