Poems and Antipoems
SynopsisPlot
Dual language (Spanish/English) selection of the poetry of the Chilean Nicanor Parra. Translators include Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Denise Levertov, Thomas Merton, W S Merwin, Allen Ginsberg, and J Laughlin. Ferlinghetti first discovered Parra for North American readers with a book in the City Lights series in 1960.
Story
About this book
Nicanor Parra, born in Chile, became one of the most distinctive voices in Latin American literature through his concept of the antipoem. Rather than elevated imagery or formal meter, Parra used colloquial speech, sharp irony, and dark humor to strip poetry down to the language people actually speak. This collection presents a selection of his work in both Spanish and English, with the originals set beside their translations.
The English versions were produced by a notable group of translators, including Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Denise Levertov, Thomas Merton, W.S. Merwin, Allen Ginsberg, and James Laughlin. Ferlinghetti was among the first to bring Parra's writing to North American audiences, publishing a volume in the City Lights series in 1960. The variety of translators gives the collection an unusual range of interpretive voices, each responding differently to Parra's dry, conversational tone.
Parra's antipoems resist grand statements and poetic decoration. They tend toward the flat, the mundane, and the absurd, turning everyday situations into material that questions literary convention itself. The bilingual format allows Spanish-speaking readers to measure each translation against the original phrasing and rhythm.
