Romanian Poetry from its Origins to the Present

Romanian Poetry from its Origins to the Present is the most comprehensive bilingual representation of Romanian poetry (English translation side by side with the Romanian original), starting with the earliest discovered poems, to contemporary poets - some of them born only a couple of decades ago. Different to previous editions, this is a critical-reference volume, containing critical notes about each one of the 442 poets included!

The volume begins with "the poetry before there were poets", a couple "timeless" anonymous ballads, and after them with the first poet who published in Romanian, The Metropolitan Dosoftei (his work, Psaltirea/The Pslalter, is from somewhere after 1650).

Such a broad anthology, will necessarily include the best known Romanian poets, such as Mihai Eminescu, Vasile Alecsandri, Alexadru Macedonski, Ion Minulescu, George Cobuc, Octavian Goga, Tudor Arghezi, Vasile Voiculescu, Lucian Blaga, Magda Isanos, George Bacovia, Ion Barbu, Nicolae Labi. However, the poets from before this "classical" period of Romanian literature are represented, perhaps for the first time, to an English reading audience - such as Ion Budai Deleanu, Ion Heliade Rdulescu, Elena Vcrescu, Grigore Alexandrescu, Dimitrie Bolintineanu, among others.

To sample just a few poets from each of the other significant historical/stylistic periods - the 1960 generation is represented through Nichita Stanescu, Ana Blandiana, Adrian Paunescu, Radu Gyr, Marin Sorescu, Ion Caraion, Nina Cassian, for example. This is followed by poets consectrated in the decades of 1970-1980, such as Nora Iuga Leonid Dimov, Romulus Vulpescu, Cezar Ivnescu, Mircea Dinescu, Ileana Mlncioiu, Irina Mavrodin, George rnea, Petre Stoica, Dan Verona, Constana Buzea. From contemporary poets, included are Adrian Popescu, Ioan Es Pop, Mircea Crtrescu, Lucian Vasilescu, Angela Marinescu, Marta Petreu, Horia Bdescu, Florin Iaru, Cristian Popescu, Ion Stratan, Aurel Ru, Emil Brumaru, Ioana Crciunescu Octavian Soviany. While from the really young poets - the editors have really made an effort to find the most significant voices: Adela Greceanu, Miruna Vlada, V.Leac, Marius Ianu, Ciprian Mcearu, Ania Vilal, Teodor Dun, Claudiu Komartin, Diana Geacr.

A significant space is reserved for Romanian poets from outside Romania. The most obvious group is the that from The Republic of Moldova (Bessarabia) - Alexei Mateevici, Alecu Russo, Arcadie Suceveanu, Renata Verejanu, Leo Butnaru, Nicolae Dabija, Leonida Lari, Grigore Vieru; while from the younger generation we have Irina Nechit, Vasile Grne, Mihai Vakulovski, Nichita Danilov, Aura Maru, Maria Paula Erizanu, Ana Donu, Iulian Fruntau, Ion Buzu.

The other group are poets who emigrated, some of whom (though not all) have been out of scope, due do both physical and psychological distance, for Romania...