Poems New And Collected: 1957-1997

Poems New and Collected: 1957-1997 is the definitive, complete collection of poetry by Nobel Prize-winning poet Wislawa Szymborska.

Described by Robert Hass as "unquestionably one of the great living European poets" and by Charles Simic as "one of the finest poets living today," Szymborska mesmerizes her readers with witty and philosophical poetry that captivates their minds and captures their hearts.

This is the book that her many fans have been anxiously awaiting, including 164 poems in all, as well as the full text of her Nobel acceptance speech of December 7, 1996, in Stockholm. Beautifully translated by Stanislaw Baranczak and Clare Cavanagh, who won a 1996 PEN Translation Prize for their work, this landmark volume of Polish poetry in translation is a must-have for all readers of poetry.

This essential volume brings together:

• The Complete Polish Poetry: 164 poems spanning four decades, from her breakthrough Calling Out to Yeti to her later works, showcasing her evolution as a singular voice in world literature.
• Nobel Prize-Winning Vision: The full text of her 1996 Nobel Lecture, "The Poet and the World," a profound and accessible meditation on poetry, inspiration, and the power of "I don’t know."
• Award-Winning Translation: A masterful English translation by Stanisław Barańczak and Clare Cavanagh, celebrated with the PEN Translation Prize for its fidelity and lyrical grace.
• Astonishment and Irony: Discover the signature blend of intellectual depth, playful wit, and profound wonder that led critics to call her one of the greatest poets of our time.

"Szymborska struggles for the utmost precision of expression, yet engages in complicated linguistic games employing rich polyphonies of her native tongue. . . . A superb English translation." - Los Angeles Times Book Review

"Szymborska is an intellectually supple but accessible poet, and her translators are sensitive to the lyrical limberness of [her] verse." - Boston Sunday Globe

"A major poet whose dark, complex and profoundly intelligent work might otherwise have remained lost to us. Szymborska is a poet who comes across unusually well in translation, for her poetry is made as much of images as ideas, their manipulation and unlikely juxtaposition, as of the untranslatable nuances of words." - Washington Post

"It may seem superfluous to praise a Nobel laureate in literature, but Szymborska is a writer richly deserving of her recent renown. She has no counterpart in English verse. An essential purchase for all interested in literature." - Library Journal

"Szymborska has become, with the suddenness of a shot of lighting, a necessary presence in modern literature, without whom our world has until now become poorer." - Boston Phoenix