A review by serendipitysbooks
Poems New and Collected by Wisława Szymborska

emotional reflective medium-paced

4.25

 Wislawa Szymborska was awarded her Nobel Prize in 1996 “for poetry that with ironic precision allows the historical and biological context to come to light in fragments of human reality”. I picked Poems New and Collected to get a good overview of her work. I was impressed by the range of topics she covered, the poems’ accessibility, and the different technical components evident in the collection - she was clearly no one trick pony. I loved the way rhythm, rhyme, alliteration and wordplay came through so kudos to the translator. I imagine translating poetry poses special challenges. I was also impressed and rather saddened by how much poems like Some People, which explores the refugee experience, and Hatred still resonate today.