I’d Rather Be a Poem – Modern German Poetry

In "The Dog Comes at 4 O'clock—A Sad Saying," Nancy Hünger writes about grief like no other young poet in...

In "The Dog Comes at 4 O'clock—A Sad Saying," Nancy Hünger writes about grief like no other young poet in Germany. The book's contents hover somewhere between prose miniature and poetic monolog; they hover much like the first-person narrator, who describes experiences ranging from institutionalization to love, loss, and the all-encompassing darkness of depression. The reader sees an attempt to compose words transform itself into a desperate attempt to maintain composure. Love is a longed-for destination, as fleeting as it is tiring. To feel deeply is to deeply hurt.

At last the field of poetry is graced by a true auditory phenomenon, tailor-made for the media-savvy and fans of...

At last the field of poetry is graced by a true auditory phenomenon, tailor-made for the media-savvy and fans of odd biographies. Ariane von Graffenried and Robert Aeberhard are the duo known as Fitzgerald & Rimini. Their latest collaboration is an homage to eight forgotten women, recited over 50-Hertz feedback, which in and of itself sets a powerfully poetic stage. Anyone who reads and listens to these two internationally acclaimed poets is in for a treat, and bound to be swept away by their enthralling work.

This work draws the reader deep into a cold winter forest where beastly, devilish encounters await; the only form of...

This work draws the reader deep into a cold winter forest where beastly, devilish encounters await; the only form of light is intimate and archaic, emanating from hearths and candles. It culminates in a brilliant piece of Bernhard-esque radicalism, bringing together forlorn voices. This collection calls upon the reader to dive in—with enough momentum, it quickly reaches full stride. Supplemented by the reader's own spinning thoughts, it begins to resonate and positively hum with vivid imagery and an exquisite darkness.

At last an anthology that delivers on its promise: great cinema. "Cinema" contains work by 64 poets, and is wholly...

At last an anthology that delivers on its promise: great cinema. "Cinema" contains work by 64 poets, and is wholly dedicated to the cinematic archetype: darkened room, flickering screen, moving images, and the countless stories they convey. The texts are enriched with collages by Stefan Heuer, stylistically echoing the texts and taking the reader on a wild ride through quotations from film history. This book opens our eyes, casting cinema in a new light, while averting its gaze from overly gruesome films. Each and every poem exudes an enthusiasm and love for the unique world that is the cinema.

Lessie Sachs wrote poetry and short prose. The works in this collection are drawn from the archives of the Leo...

Lessie Sachs wrote poetry and short prose. The works in this collection are drawn from the archives of the Leo Baeck Institute in New York, and for the first time are grouped thematically. Her work is a testament to the power of poetry over the decades. She had some impressive contemporaries, and knew many of the modern era's first bestselling women, including Dorothy Parker, Gertrude Stein, and Mascha Kaléko. Her verses convey a strong sense of situational comedy and a pragmatic understanding of gender politics. Today, they sound fresh as ever and, even when elegiac, they retain her uniquely laconic wit.

Anyone who's shuddered at Annette von Droste-Hülshoff's ninteenth-century classic "The Boy on the Moor" will experience the "excarnation" promised by...

Anyone who's shuddered at Annette von Droste-Hülshoff's ninteenth-century classic "The Boy on the Moor" will experience the "excarnation" promised by the title of Eva Maria Leuenberger's latest book, wherein nature becomes human and vice versa. Its four chapters, each with a different layout, let readers wander through typeset landscapes: valley, moor, gorge. At times the eye plummets, but swiftly regains balance through the act of reading onward.

The works of this daring and courageous poet are strange, but they are also among my most favorite. Sünje Lewejohann's...

The works of this daring and courageous poet are strange, but they are also among my most favorite. Sünje Lewejohann's tone is neither reticent nor gossipy. Sometimes her work strikes me as that of a chitchatty child with an irrepressible urge to communicate, calling everything—even the obscurest—by its true name. The idea that, at certain points in her work, we readers will stall, suffer, and be tempted to disengage is part of the poet's artful calculation. It's a promising premise that's swiftly fulfilled, because she's like "the all-enveloping weather," and hence holds control of her poetic game. It's hard to describe what she does and how she does it, but I never tire of reading her, and when it comes to poetry that's really saying something.

"The Animals' Return" reads like a souvenir of sorts, wherein Jan Kuhlbrodt's collected prose poems tell us of the new...

"The Animals' Return" reads like a souvenir of sorts, wherein Jan Kuhlbrodt's collected prose poems tell us of the new fields, new cities, and new patterns of a reunified country, as well as the gaps and empty spaces emerging within it. As companions and observers, animals have left an impression on the poet; silent agreements are struck, and recollections of Germany's reunification in 1989—a political as well as epistemological transition—chart the dashed hopes of citizens carefully trying to feel their way forward. There is a lot to gain from studying these serious, keenly observed pictures in the form of poems.

Those who flee, lose; those who don't flee, die. These thoughts came to mind as I read Lessmann's "State of...

Those who flee, lose; those who don't flee, die. These thoughts came to mind as I read Lessmann's "State of Flight," because her poems distill the tragedy of displacement, immigration, and the loss of one's homeland into stark imagery. Much like Celan, Lessmann works with linguistic observations; here, his shibboleth morphs into her reflections on the "sharp S." This poet considers flight the quintessential human condition: it is both a force and an ability, a source of suffering, great grief, and inner turmoil. Her texts on the subject are radiant and magnetic. Here, she has created a new country in the spaces between the lines.

The poet Thien Tran died 10 years ago, yet his work inspired such enthusiasm, and left such a huge wake,...

The poet Thien Tran died 10 years ago, yet his work inspired such enthusiasm, and left such a huge wake, that his fellow poet Ron Winkler decided to take up the chase. Here, he offers a living obituary in book form, recounting a life that refuses to vanish beneath the sands of time. Tran's poems are the length of a quick cigarette break. Both brimming with life yet melancholic, they grant the poet's voice an evocative echo.

Nathalie Schmid's poems prove that individual elements needn't outdo one another—they can coexist in an orderly, even equitable way, one...

Nathalie Schmid's poems prove that individual elements needn't outdo one another—they can coexist in an orderly, even equitable way, one alongside the other. Their content is elegiac, but speaks to the reader through crystal clear, unsparing imagery that nevertheless harbors moments of tenderness. Much of it makes for painfully intimate reading. We're hardly used to reading a poet so keen to confess. She's full of life, and her experiences address us as exhortations.

The title of Nora Gomringer's latest collection, published during the coronavirus crisis, is a play on words between "praying mantis"...

The title of Nora Gomringer's latest collection, published during the coronavirus crisis, is a play on words between "praying mantis" and "God's service provider," shedding new light on her relationship to religion. From youth onward she's fostered her faith, carefully protecting it. She makes no secret of it, and in this book—whose poems mirror their viewers and readers in the fullest sense of the word—we read along as she questions herself and the crux of it all. She opens up about the cross and the many kinds of bigotry surrounding it, and does so with deep humor. The death of a good friend inspired a chapter on grief: Words for the empty language of the phrases we offer to the grieving.

Martina Weber lays out her poetic images one after another, like a series of film stills grabbing our gaze. She...

Martina Weber lays out her poetic images one after another, like a series of film stills grabbing our gaze. She arranges them in clear lines across her canvas to evoke thoughtful echoes in her readers' reflections. Some poems are densely patterned, others retain an airier feel between their lines. These stylistic variations fit well with her observations of urban life. The texts slowly build up into "Houses, Wholly of Light."

Nadja Küchenmeister's texts might first strike the reader as mysterious, powerful, delicate, and even charming, but the most intriguing aspect...

Nadja Küchenmeister's texts might first strike the reader as mysterious, powerful, delicate, and even charming, but the most intriguing aspect stems from their flawless rhythm and worldview. "In the Glass Mountain"—a fairy-tale realm encompassing both the possible and the impossible—contains a series of short cycles, each of which would hold up as a standalone volume. Küchenmeister insists upon striking conclusions, so her strongest work often comes toward the end. She is also an unparalleled master of enjambement.

A cloth-bound treasure trove! "Deep Down I'd have Preferred to be a Poem" is a nod to Catalonian poet Jaime...

A cloth-bound treasure trove! "Deep Down I'd have Preferred to be a Poem" is a nod to Catalonian poet Jaime Gil de Biedma, and sets the tone for this anthology of work by poets who appeared at the Lyrik Kabinett—Munich's main poetry venue—between 1989 and 2019. This book, edited by Holger Pils and Michael Krüger in honor of Ursula Haeusgen, the institution's founder, spans three decades of poetry. This partially bilingual collection includes all of Europe's better-known poets, plus a few major international stars. It's a welcome reminder that poetry anthologies have the power to double as world chronicles, rendering readers wiser, more spirited, and more European.

Herta Müller, winner of the 2009 Nobel Prize in literature, has ventured into new territory, creating visual poetry that is...

Herta Müller, winner of the 2009 Nobel Prize in literature, has ventured into new territory, creating visual poetry that is sensuous and, at times, hilarious. It manages to transform certain moments and word choices into sheer lightness. Some lines and thoughts float somewhat mystically into vagueness, prompting us to complete them in our minds. The aural landscape of these texts, so steeped in isolation, is laconic and tinged by an overarching melancholy. The poet has organized every aspect of her universe, and we're almost glad to sit by her side in this grand "blue room" called homesickness.

The planet, which "carries you for your appointed days," has its own eponymous poem in this collection. In "Imago," Uwe...

The planet, which "carries you for your appointed days," has its own eponymous poem in this collection. In "Imago," Uwe Kolbe paints sumptuous pictures using densely wrought, ever-more-concise language. One might occasionally wish his work were lighter but, considering the topic he so often grapples with—the fleeting nature of it all—it's little wonder he'd aim to both ground and root it in his readers. And grounding and rooting call for forceful statements with meaningful heft. This is one impressive book, amplified by nods to prayer, church bells, and recitations of mass.

These daily poetry notes, one for each day in the merry month of May, are laconic, clear, and humorous. Strolling...

These daily poetry notes, one for each day in the merry month of May, are laconic, clear, and humorous. Strolling from the recycling bin to the opera house, they crack open new poetic spaces. Adrian Kasnitz's "Calendar #5" is adamantly urban, and both its texts and illustrations are special discoveries.

Sonja Harter's poems are highly complex—brazen, serious, and blossoming with late-pop attitude. She turns observed scenes into heightened abstractions, and...

Sonja Harter's poems are highly complex—brazen, serious, and blossoming with late-pop attitude. She turns observed scenes into heightened abstractions, and leads us from a larger whole into the narrowly private sphere. To read Harter is to witness the emergence of a new generation. She reveals her sources in many poems that wink and nod at other poets, either through overt dedication or by implied inspiration. It's all pulled off with the utmost respect and tact, in lowercase letters and with a beguiling humility.

This book sates one's hunger while simultaneously whetting the appetite. "Maneaters of Love" is an anthology of 40 poets spanning...

This book sates one's hunger while simultaneously whetting the appetite. "Maneaters of Love" is an anthology of 40 poets spanning from classical to contemporary. They're gathered here to serve up poems on love, carnal desire, yearning, and feasting in all their splendid suggestiveness. The book is a five-star menu, each chapter is a course, and cannibalism—the most extreme form of embodiment—is the intellectual amuse-bouche.