Description
Ana Blandiana is one of Romanias foremost poets, a leading dissident before the fall of Communism, and now one of her countrys strongest candidates for the Nobel Prize. A prominent opponent of the Ceaușescu regime, Blandiana became known for her daring, outspoken poems as well as for her courageous defence of ethical values. Over the years, her works have become the symbol of a moral consciousness that refuses to be silenced by a totalitarian government.
The Shadow of Words covers Blandianas early collections published from 1964 to 1981, as well as including uncollected poems from that period which only appeared in anthologies. It follows My Native Land A4 (2014), The Sun of Hereafter Ebb of the Senses (2017) and Five Books (2021) in completing Bloodaxes presentation of Blandianas collected poems to date in English translation. She published these poems during the brief period of political thaw of Romanias communist regime, when aestheticism took on a more subversive role, reaffirming the autonomy of the poetic word and freeing it from the stultifying demands of propagandist proletarian art.
In her early poems, Blandianas voice articulates a pure and vibrant spiritual language of unmistakable ethical clarity, calling for moral regeneration in the face of indifference. Their ethical idealism and steadfastness override the many masks of degradation. These youthful books announce from the outset the sense of responsibility and faith in the survival of the collective soul that has always characterised Blandianas poetry.
Romanian author and political activist Blandiana enthrals in this anthology of her early work. Fidelity to truth, ethical inquiry, union with nature, and the ubiquity of the soul underscore narratives that resuscitate awe and riot against passivity [] With nonpareil enlightenment, valor, and spectral beauty, Blandianas visions make an indelible impression. Publishers Weekly, starred review of The Shadow of Words
Author: Ana Blandiana
Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Bloodaxe Books
Published: 04/15/2025
Pages: 288
Weight: 1.41lbs
Size: 8.40h x 5.40w x 0.90d
ISBN: 9781780375403
Language: English
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