If Not, Winter: Fragments Of Sappho

Description

From poet and classicist Anne Carson comes this translation of the work of Sappho, together with the original Greek. During her life on the island of Lesbos, Sappho is said to have composed nine books of lyrics. Only one poem has survived complete. In "If Not, Winter", Carson presents all the extant fragments of Sappho's verse, employing brackets and white space to denote missing text - allowing the reader to imagine the poems as they were written. Carson says of her method of translation: "I like to think that, the more I stand out of the way, the more Sappho shows through". Her translation illuminates Sappho's reflections on love and desire, her companions and rivals, the goddess Aphrodite and her own daughter, Kleis. The book brings us an ancient poet brought to life by an empathetic contemporary poet, and is complete with an introduction and notes.

Anne Carson is the Director of Graduate Studies, Classics, at McGill University. She was twice a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, and has been the recipient of a 1996 Lannan Award and a 1997 Pushcart Prizem both for poetry. She was the recipient of the 2002 T.S. Eliot prize for poetry.

* 'A stunning writer' HAROLD BLOOM, PARIS REVIEW * 'Carson writes in a language any poet would kill for: sensuous and funny, poignant, musical and tender, brilliantly lighted' RUTH PADEL, NY TIMES BOOK REVIEW * 'A truly great poet of the 21st century' REBECCA WOOLF, TIME OUT * 'If she was a prose writer, she would be instantly recognised as a genius' COLM TOIBIN, TLS