The Salt Companion to Richard Berengarten (Salt Companions to Poetry) - Tapa blanda

In every generation of poets there are hidden treasures. One such is Richard Berengarten, a poet before and ahead of his time. This ambitious and scholarly collection of essays – aimed at existing and new readers – explores the multiple facets and layers of his large body of work. The matrix of Berengarten’s poems is found not in the ‘malady of the quotidian’ (Stevens) but in the mythos the poet lives by, with beacons such as the I Ching, Blake, Shelley, Rilke, Jung, Stevens, Seferis, Paz and Lalić lighting his way. (Anthony Rudolf)|By exploring the numerous aspects of Richard Berengarten's poetry, by demonstrationg the amplitude of its concerns and testifying to its power, this series of essays earns its place among the major revaluations of our time. (George Szirtes)|These essays and reflections offer a comprehensive and fascinating insight into the life and work of one of the most vital and humane poets working in Europe over the last several decades. This wonderful Critical Companion will not only be required reading for those already familiar with Richard Berengarten's work, but will, I hope, bring new readers to the poetry. (John Burnside)|This book of essays, written by distinguished international poets and critics, explores many aspects of Richard Berengarten's writings: his lifelong interest in Jung and in myth, his Jewish heritage, his formal inventiveness, the daring of The Manager – a poem which remains as fresh as when it was first written – and the achievement of his poems set in the Balkans and Greece. SALT is to be congratulated in publishing such an important book. (Elaine Feinstein)|These essays testify to a poet’s visionary quest, partly undertaken, partly circumstanced by a world often on the brink of collapse. In a multi-faceted career, Richard Berengarten has pursued Hölderlin’s question “what are poets for,” with a rare genius and tenacity, and with the utmost skill as both witness and craftsman. (Michael Heller)

Richard Berengarten has been a crucial presence in contemporary poetry for over forty years and his poetry has been translated into more than ninety languages. The range of poetic canons to which Berengarten's oeuvre responds is reflected both in the book's large number of contributors and their diverse cultural backgrounds.