View with a Grain of Sand: Selected PoemsIn these 100 poems Wislawa Szymborska portrays a world of astonishing diversity and richness, in which nature is wise and prodigal and fate unpredictable, if not mischievous. With acute irony tempered by a generous curiosity, she documents life's improbability as well as its transient beauty. The ruins of Troy; sunlight gleaming on a pewter jug; birds returning in the spring; the Abominable Snowman lurking in the Himalayas; a body-building contest; a symphony; a macabre laboratory experiment with a decapitated dog; a postcard from a sister who has "much to tell"; the discovery of a new star; the irrationality of love; the infinity of (pi). |
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angels bear beautiful believe beneath birds body born bridge can't changed clouds couldn't course dark dead dear death don't door dreams drop ears earth empty eternity existence eyes face fall fate feel final fingers four gift give goes gone grass hand happened happy he's head hear heart hold hope human inside it's keep knock leaf leave less letters light living look lost mean mind miracle missing move neck never night once pass poems political question reason rest river sand seen sense short side silence sleep smiles someone soul sound spring star steps stone stop sure tail tell that's there's things tree turned wait wall what's wind wings write