Joseph Brodsky excerpt
"Born on May 24, 1940 in Leningrad of Jewish parents, Joseph Brodsky spent the first 20 years or so of his life in relative calm; he pursued formal education until the age of 15, followed by various odd-jobs and a period of dedicated self-study which resulted in his complete mastery of English and Polish. All of that changed, however, the moment Joseph's pen met paper, revealing an uncanny ability to perceive inner truths in the human condition as well as an extraordinary capacity to envision material objects as sacramental signs - the markings of a true poet and the beginning of hard times to come vis-a-vis the Russian government. Following several arrests for charges of "social parasitism," Brodsky underwent years of persecution, forced labor and finally exile from his native country. Since 1972, Brodsky has been living in the United States teaching, writing and translating. During this time, he has also made frequent trips to Europe where his writing is widely published and read. Noted for his intensely personal and meditative style, Brodsky is considered throughout the world to be one of the most gifted lyric poets of our time. "True poetry, he acknowledged, is a mixture of revelation and penetration. The verse that a poet writes is merely the vehicle, which can transport the reader towards the final destination or underlying meaning. A work of art, especially literature, isn't a one-way venture, he said, but a two-way dialogue between the author and reader - a kind of "mutual solitude and communication" - like a prayer to God."
|
