Discovering Russian Literature discussion

This is a selection of Akhmatova's life work, with early poems from 1909, through her affair with the poet Blok in the teens, the Terror and War, to her deathbed in 1961.

I've read some of the poems here. This is a gem. The following are the poems included in the collection. Those who have other other collection of her poetry are welcome to join us! Tell us what you favourites are and why.

Enjoy!

Reading Hamlet
Pushkin
I Wrung My Hands
Hearts Memory of Sun
Three Things Enchanted Him
To the Muse
Were All Drunkards Here
The Guest
To Alexander Blok
How Can You Look at the Neva?
July 1914
All Has Been Taken Away
We Don't Know How to Say Goodbye
When in the Throes of Suicide
Now Nobody Will Want to Listen to Songs
Why Is This Age Worse ?
Everything is Plundered
I Am Not One of Those Who Left the Land
Lots Wife
The Muse
The Last Toast
Boris Pasternak
Voronezh
Dante
Imitation from the Armenian
In Memory of M B
Cleopatra
Willow
Requiem
In 1940
Courage
The Return
This Cruel Age Has Deflected Me
Your Lynx Eyes Asia
March Elegy
Epigram
The Death of Sophocles
Alexander at Thebes
There Are Four of Us
From Poem without a Hero

I see the thread is so silent, readers if you have trouble in accessing her poems here are few sites I found:

http://www.poetryintranslation.com/PI...

http://www.poetryloverspage.com/poets...

http://www.poemhunter.com/anna-akhmat...

I've just ordered a copy, it should be here soon. I've wanted to read this for awhile, but kept getting distracted.

Thank you for the sites, that looks like a fine place to start.

Thank you for the links, Amalie. Starting this year I would like to learn more about poetry. I'm glad to have her brought to my notice. This is the first time I've heard of her.

BTW, today is the first time I received a notification from here, and the last post is on 2/21.

I don't know where to start with my love for Akhmatova....I think when I first discovered her as an overly romantic 20 year old living in Prague, I was most moved by her earlier pieces then, and spent many long autumnal days sat in the beautiful park totally swept up in her world. That wonderful doomed romance that the Russians do so well....But now I think both Requiem and Poem without a Hero must rank as some of the greatest poetic works of the 20thc. I would definitely suggest reading one of the great biographies about her that are out there in order to understand more of the background of both pieces. Oh and when you are done with her, turn to Tsvetaeva and be ready to have your mind blown again.

Thank you, Amalie. I had never appreciated her stuff before. I'm afraid my taste is essentially prosaic, but several of AA's pieces reached me and I expect to revisit them. I particularly like Kline's translation.

The translation I've been reading is by D. M. Thomas, and it has been vert satisying thus far. Any tecommendations on a particular biography to start with?

Jonathan wrote: "I don't know where to start with my love for Akhmatova....I think when I first discovered her as an overly romantic 20 year old living in Prague, I was most moved by her earlier pieces then, and sp..."

I've read Requiem, I can see what you mean.

Btw, Amalie I don't think I need to find this book now, since the sites you've provided have all the above mentioned poems. Thanks a lot dear!

Stephanie Trinity wrote: "The translation I've been reading is by D. M. Thomas, and it has been vert satisying thus far. Any tecommendations on a particular biography to start with?"

Anna of All the Russias: A Life of Anna Akhmatova

Thank you, I'll make sure to look this up.

I am looking to read Akhmatova's work and was wondering if there were any particular translations that I should read.