Tuesday, May 21, 2013
About Mars Hill Audio
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| The late poet Czeslaw Milosz, who was born in Vilnius in 1911 and who died in Krakow in 2004, lived outside of his homeland for most of his adult life. Consequently, notes professor Roger Lundin, his poetry bears the stamp of the longings and sensibilities unique to those who have known exile. Lundin reads one of Milosz's poems that testifies to his dedication to the Polish language while in a foreign land, "My Faithful Mother Tongue." In addition to demonstrating that Milosz paid tribute to his native language in his poetry, it also captures Milosz's understanding of the balance between the urgency and importance of the poetic task, and a realistic humility about the capacity of the poet. Milosz knew people need order and beauty in the midst of misfortune; while the poet is not capable of eradicating misfortune, he can provide measures of order and beauty by setting "little bowls of color" before a language. |  New and Collected Poems: 1931-2001 (HarperCollins, 2003) |
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The bonus track for Volume 71 is available here. (Left click to stream; right click to save.)  Roger Lundin has contributed to multiple editions of the Journal; click here for his record. | Milosz, Czeslaw |