Modern poems on the Bible : an anthology /
A collection of some of the most imaginative and engaging responses to the Bible written in this century. Guided by the classic rabbinic genre of Midrash Curzon chooses masterpieces of 20th century poetry and places them beside the biblical passages that were their inspiration. -- Amazon.com
| Corporate Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Book |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Philadelphia :
Jewish Publication Society,
1994
|
| Edition: | 1st ed |
| Subjects: |
Table of Contents:
- Introduction
- A The creation
- B. Adam and Eve in Eden
- C. Expulsion from Eden
- D. Cain and Abel
- E. Noah
- F. The Tower of Babel
- G. The Covenant with Abraham
- H. Lot and his family
- I. Hagar
- J. The binding of Isaac
- K. Jacob, Rachel, and Leah
- L. Moses
- M. Joshua
- N. Judges
- O. Kings: Saul and David
- P. Abishag
- Q. Solomon and Sheba
- R. Elijah
- S. Prophets
- T. Jonah
- U. Psalms
- V. Proverbs
- W. Job
- X. The Song of Songs
- Y. Ruth
- Z. Ecclesiastes.
- The Genre of Midrash: A Living Tradition Midrashic Techniques of Twentieth-Century Poets. Narrative: Lot's Wife Looks Back. Proposition: Big Bang or Whatever. Comparison and Parable: A Reparations Agreement. Deconstruction: When Trouble Came. Implicit Proof-Texts. The Verse from Afar. The Importance and Pleasures of Contemporary Midrash. A Note on Selection. The Poems. The Biblical Passages
- A. The Creation. Genesis 1:1-5. In the Beginning / Primo Levi. The Great Explosion / Robinson Jeffers. Big Bang or Whatever / Eugenio Montale. When God First Said / Natan Zach. Genesis / Nicanor Parra. Creation Myth on a Moebius Band / Howard Nemerov. The First Verse / Anne Winters. Genesis 1:6-13. The Imperfect Paradise / Linda Pastan. Protest to Fred Hoyle / A. D. Hope. Genesis 1:14-19. To the New Moon / Salvatore Quasimodo. Genesis 1:20-23. The Work of Creation / D. H. Lawrence. Genesis 1:24-31. Poems from "God's Torment" / Alain Bosquet. My Son / Yehuda Amichai. Testimony / Dan Pagis. Genesis 2:1-4a. From "The Seven Days of Creation" / James McAuley
- B. Adam and Eve in Eden. Genesis 2:4b-7. Psalm / Paul Celan. From "Adam, or the Birth of Anxiety" / Edmond Jabes. Genesis / Eva Toth. Genesis 2:8-17. Adam / Yevgeny Vinokurov. As Yet Unborn / Stanley H. Barkan. Genesis 2:18-20. The Gift / Louise Gluck. Spider / Czeslaw Milosz. Adam's Task / John Hollander. Naming the Animals / Anthony Hecht. Eve Names the Animals / Susan Donnelly. Linnacus / Czeslaw Milosz. Genesis 2:21-24. One Flesh / Elizabeth Jennings. Paradise / Louise Gluck. Never Again Would Birds' Song Be the Same / Robert Frost. Genesis 2:25-3:7. From "Silhouette of a Serpent" / Paul Valery. The Serpent in the Garden / Eavan Boland. Genesis 3:8-19. How Cruel Is the Story of Eve / Stevie Smith. Adam's Curse / William Butler Yeats
- C. The Expulsion from Eden. Genesis 3:20-24. Adam Cast Forth / Jorge Luis Borges. After Paradise / Czeslaw Milosz. Paradise Lost / Erich Fried. Paradise / Franz Kafka. Lost Paradise / Jaroslav Seifert. Adam / Rainer Maria Rilke. Eve / Rainer Maria Rilke. Eve to Her Daughters / Judith Wright. Theodicy / Czeslaw Milosz. Possession of Yesterday / Jorge Luis Borges. From "Horae Canonicae" / W. H. Auden
- D. Cain and Abel. Genesis 4:1-16. Autobiography / Dan Pagis. Legend / Jorge Luis Borges. Scrawled in Pencil in a Sealed Railway Car / Dan Pagis
- E. Noah. Genesis 6:9-7:5. Noah / Chris Wallace-Crabbe. The Ark / Robert Graves. The Ark / Jay Macpherson. The Ark / Jane Shore. Into the Ark / Wislawa Szymborska. The Ark / Eugenio Montale. Genesis 8:13-22. Ararat / Dan Pagis
- F. The Tower of Babel. Genesis 11:1-9. In the Tower of Babel / Wislawa Szymborska
- G. The Covenant with Abraham. Genesis 12:1-9. Genesis / Jacob Glatstein. The Story of Abraham / Alicia Ostriker. Go Forth / Amir Or. Genesis 15:1-6. The Onus of Mercy / Yehuda Amichai. Genesis 17:9-14. Covenant / Allen Afterman
- H. Lot and His Family. Genesis 19:1-11. The Destruction of Sodom / Daryl Hine. Gomorrah / Christine Holbo. Genesis 19:12-22. From "Lot Later" / Howard Nemerov. Genesis 19:23-26. Lot's Wife / Anna Akhmatova. Lot's Wife / Wislawa Szymborska. Lot's Wife / James Simmons. Genesis 19:30-38. From "Lot and His Daughters" / A. D. Hope. From "Lot's Daughter" / Enid Dame. Lot's Son / Stanley Moss
- I. Hagar. Genesis 21:1-14. Sarah / Edna Aphek. Hagar's Last Night in Abraham's House / Itsik Manger
- J. The Binding of Isaac. Genesis 22:1-14. Sacrifice / H. Leivick. After Years of Feasting and No Sacrifice / Linda Zisqutt. The Parable of the Old Man and the Young / Wilfred Owen. The Akedah / Aliza Shenhar. Photograph / Zbigniew Herbert. The Sacrifice / Chana Bloch. Isaac / Amir Gilboa. My Father Isaac / Jacob Glatstein
- K. Jacob, Rachel, and Leah. Genesis 25:19-34. Esau's Letter / Aharon Amir. Genesis 29:14b-31. The Tune to Jacob Who Removed the Stone from the Mouth of the Well / Rivka Miriam. Leah / Shirley Kaufman. Genesis 32:23-33. Israel / Yitzhak Lamdan. Peniel / Kevin Hart. Jacob and the Angel / Yehuda Amichai. Last Words / Sharon Olds. Genesis 35:16-21. Like Rachel / Dahlia Ravikovitch
- L. Moses. Exodus 3:1-15. Twelve Lines about the Burning Bush / Melech Ravitch. Exodus 13:18b-22. Exodus / Harvey Shapiro. Exodus 19:1-19. Dead Men Don't Praise God / Jacob Glatstein. God of Mercy / Kadya Molodovsky. Numbers 20:1-11. Biographical Note / Gabriel Preil. Leviticus 1:1-5. The Old Idea of Sacrifice / D. H. Lawrence. Deuteronomy 8:1-3. Manna / Samuel Menashe. Deuteronomy 25:17-19. Amalek / Friedrich Torberg. Deuteronomy 34:1-8. The Death of Moses / Rainer Maria Rilke
- M. Joshua. Joshua 3:10. The Story of Joshua / Alicia Ostriker. Joshua 24:1-13. Joshua at Shechem / Charles Reznikoff
- N. Judges. Judges 4:1-10. Devorah / Janet Ruth Heller. Judges 5:1, 5:24-31. His Mother / Haim Gouri. Judges 16:23-30. Ashkelon Beach / Yehuda Amichai
- O. Kings: Saul and David. 1 Samuel 17:1-11. David / Josephine Miles. 1 Samuel 17:38-40. From "Autobiography, New York" / Charles Reznikoff. 1 Samuel 17:41-51a. The Giant on Giant-Killing / Richard Howard. 1 Samuel 18:1-9. From "Portrait of Saul" / Thomas W. Shapcott. 1 Samuel 18:10-16. And Perhaps Only Music / Natan Zach. 1 Samuel 18:17-29. Michal / Anna Akhmatova. 2 Samuel 6:16-23. Michal / Rachel. 2 Samuel 11:2-27. Devotion to Duty / Siegfried Sassoon
- P. Abishag. 1 Kings 1:1-4. Abishag / Rainer Maria Rilke. Abishag / Jacob Glatstein. Abishag / Shirley Kaufman. Abishag Writes a Letter Home / Itsik Manger. King David Old / Robert Lowell. Provide, Provide / Robert Frost
- Q. Solomon, and Sheba. 1 Kings 3:5-15. O to Be a Dragon / Marianne Moore. 1 Kings 10:1-13. Solomon to Sheba / William Butler Yeats. From "The Visit of the Queen of Sheba" / Yehuda Amichai. A Turtle from Oxford / Aleksander Wat. From "Elegy for the Queen of Sheba" / Leopold Sedar Senghor. On Woman / William Butler Yeats
- R. Elijah. 1 Kings 18:41-45a. I Saw / Natan Zach. 1 Kings 19:1-8. The Weariness of the Prophet Elijah / Anna Kamienska. 2 Kings 9:30-37. Jezreel / Thomas Hardy
- S. Prophets. Isaiah 6:1-7. From "Vacillation" / William Butler Yeats. Isaiah 21:11-12. Nachtwache / Primo Levi. Isaiah 51:17 and 60:1-3. You Be Like You / Paul Celan. Isaiah 54:7-8. Small Moment / Howard Nemerov. Isaiah 56:5. Just Think / Paul Celan. Jeremiah 8:20. Destinations / Anthony Hecht. Ezekiel 37:1-14. Draft of a Reparations Agreement / Dan Pagis. Joel 4:2 and 4:12-14. At the Gate of the Valley / Zbigniew Herbert. Zechariah 8:13. Magnificent Words / Stevie Smith
- T. Jonah. Jonah 1:1-16. Then, Too, It Was Autumn / Gabriel Preil. Jonah 2:1-11. Tidings / Dan Pagis. Jonah / Zbigniew Herbert. Jonah / Stephen Mitchell. Jonah / Gabriel Preil. After Jonah / Hart Crane. Jonah 3:1-4:4. From "A Masque of Mercy" / Robert Frost. Jonah 4:5-11. Jonah / Enrique Lihn. On a Text: Jonah 4:11 / Howard Nemerov
- U. Psalms. Psalm 1. Blessed Is the Man / Marianne Moore. I Am a Man "Planted beside Streams of Water" / Yehuda Amichai. From "Latter-Day Psalms" / Nissim Ezekiel. Psalm I / David Curzon. Psalm 23. Whit Monday / Louis MacNiece. Song of a Womanizer / Natan Zach. Psalm 34:1-8. O Taste and See / Denise Levertov. Psalm 42:1-4. From "Clearances" / Seamus Heaney. Psalm 45:1-2. Inditing a Good Matter / Donald Davie. Psalm 71:1-9. Psalm / Anna Kamienska. Psalm 119: Gimel and Tav. From "Meditation on Psalm 118" / Paul Claudel. Psalm 119: Hay. Vanity / Anna Kamienska. Psalm 121:1. Like David / Gabriel Preil. Psalm 122:1-2. There Stood / Paul Celan. Psalm 126. Like the Streams in the Negev / Yehuda Amichai. Psalm 150. The Cosmos Is His Sanctuary (Psalm 150) / Ernesto Cardenal
- V. Proverbs. Proverbs 3:1-3. Proverbs 3:1 / David Curzon
- W. Job. Homily / Dan Pagis.
- Summary / Wislawa Szymborska Job 3:20-26. From "More Poems" / A. E. Housman. Job 5:6-7. As the Sparks Fly Upward / John Hollander. Job 19:23-26. O the Chimneys / Nelly Sachs. Job 39:19-30. Birds and Fishes / Robinson Jeffers. Job 42:10-17. From "The Second Happiness of Job" / Anna Kamienska. From "A Masque of Reason" / Robert Frost
- X. The Song of Songs. Song of Songs 2:1-7. Poem of Explanations / Dahlia Ravikovitch. Song of Songs 7:1. Deathsfugue / Paul Celan. Song of Songs / Iakovos Kambanelis
- Y. Ruth. Ruth 1:1-17. The Book of Ruth and Naomi / Marge Piercy. Ruth 1:20. Naomi / Anna Kamienska
- Z. Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiastes 1:1-9. Ecclesiastes 1:9 / Jorge Luis Borges.