AD // Gifted • Thank you very much to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
As a translator myself, I know the struggle of translating poetry, and keeping the same tone and message as the original. Although I do not speak Dutch, so have not read “May” in its original language, this edition is well crafted, delicate and full of life.
Strong visual imagery is used throughout the poem, alongside an AABB rhyme scheme and an iambic pentameter. I do not know the original poem’s internal meter, but I do know that it had the same AABB rhyme scheme, and transferring a poem’s initial rhyme scheme into a translation is a feat extremely hard to accomplish.
The world of “May” is so intricately interwoven with Norse mythology. I adore mythology, so it was a welcome appearance! This is the first of Gorter’s work I have read or heard of, and his allegorical choices really demonstrated his skill level. I may explore more of his work, if translations are available.
My least favourite thing about this poem is it’s usage of enjambment. Instead of achieving a flowly effect (the usual goal of enjambment), at times it felt jagged and unnatural.
In conclusion, this poem is a beautiful epic of grief, life, death and youth. I am very pleased at the inclusion of an introduction and a synopsis, as it helped me appreciate the poem and understand certain elements of it. I think complex novels or poems sometimes need a synopsis, as to make them more accessible, which assists the reader’s own interpretations.
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