Overview

Ukraine may be the only country on earth that owes its existence, at least in part, to a poet. Ever since the appearance of Taras Shevchenko's Kobzar in 1840, poetry has played an outsized role in Ukrainian culture. ""Our anthology begins: Letters of the alphabet go to war and ends with I am writing/ and all my people are writing,"" note the editors of this volume, acclaimed poets Carolyn Forché and Ilya Kaminsky. ""It includes poets whose work is known to thousands of people, who are translated into dozens of languages, as well as those who are relatively unknown in the West."" These poems offer a startling look at the way language both affects and reflects the realities of war and extremity. This anthology is sure to become the classic text marking not only one of the darkest periods in Ukrainian history, but also a significant moment in the universal struggle for democracy and human rights.

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In Hour of War: Poetry from Ukraine, edited by Carolyn Forche and Ilya Kaminsky, is more than timely. Indeed, we have heard the barrage on the 6 o'clock news, but now we engage the war's most apt witnesses who command the human heart through images and rhythms of language. These poems written primarily in Ukrainian, and then translated into English, refuse to glorify gore, but instead render reflection. Have we grown numb to body counts? Poets of the Ukraine deliver a reckoning, and the souls of a people are laid bare. These poems, exacted with bravery, cross realms. Such surrealism bears not only blinding terror, but also moments of natural beauty. With resolve and determination - some fight even with their hands tied behind their backs. In The Hour of War speaks between the people of Ukraine and the world. -Yusef Komunyakaa, Pulitzer Prize winning poet

Author Information

Carolyn Forché has published five books of poems, most recently In the Lateness of the World, a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2021. Her works also include translations, anthologies, and a memoir. She is a professor at Georgetown University. Ilya Kaminsky was born in Odesa, Ukraine, and now lives in the United States. He is the author of two poetry collections, Dancing in Odessa and The Deaf Republic. His works also include translations, essays and anthologies. He is a professor at Princeton University.

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