Parrish Lantern's Casebook

When I wrote an answer to the question “Discuss your thoughts on sentimentality in literature. When is emotion in literature effective and when is it superfluous?”, I used a poem by Pablo Neruda as my main example, I could quite easily have used an example by Erich Fried. The crux of my argument was that although anything written was reliant on artifice to convince the reader of it’s veracity, it then becomes how you use it, that to make it work it must be like sleight of hand, so all you see is the magic and not some fool playing with their hands. This brings me to the poetry in this book, there is a deep yearning and desperation to his words, there’s a pain that’s more than bone-deep and yet he displays a stoicism and an optimism that comes across in the humour, this is a poetry that doesn’t scream it’s loss, it displays a subtlety and calm that makes it even more powerful.What It IsIt is madness says reason It is what it is says loveIt is unhappiness says caution It is nothing but pain says fear It has no future says insight It is what it is says loveIt is ridiculous says pride It is foolish says caution It is impossible says experience It is what it is says love.This poetry comes across as deeply personal, proudly wearing it’s lovers badge, and yet it doesn’t become corny, it is touching yet doesn’t become saccharine, bighearted but doesn’t simper or whine, this is a poetry that reveals it’s heart as an elemental force, natural. Whose appeal lies in it’s simplicity, humanity and in the direct honesty of it’s gaze. In this fantastic bilingual edition from Oneworld Classics, one of the twentieth centuries great poets, has been translated with an understated sagacity that allows the poetry to shine. The Translator Stuart Hood, was a long-time friend, fellow writer and colleague of whom, The Times Literary Supplement said that 'Hood’s sensitive translation accurately captures Fried’s style, his incisive, constant questioning and his refusal to shy away from any issue… an apposite introduction to the English-speaking reader of an important contemporary German poet.' The Guardian described it as 'A poetry bared to the ironic quick, to the quintessential bone, and it is alive and alarming in Stuart Hood's excellent translations from the German.'http://parrishlantern.blogspot.com/2012/02/heart-in-reality.html