Mary Barnard was a notable American poet and translator whose work often drew upon classical Greek mythology and literature. Her poems are distinguished by their precise language and deep exploration of themes of time, identity, and the female experience. Barnard gained recognition for her translations of ancient texts and original poetry collections, earning her critical acclaim. Her writing represents a unique fusion of ancient tradition and modern poetic sensibility.
These hundred poems and fragments constitute virtually all of Sappho that survives and effectively bring to life the woman whom the Greeks consider to be their greatest lyric poet. Mary Barnard's translations are lean, incisive, direct—the best ever published. She has rendered the beloved poet's verses, long the bane of translators, more authentically than anyone else in English.
Mary Barnard ist die echteste Stimme aus dem pazifischen Nordwesten Amerikas. Ihre Gedichte befassten sich mit Flüssen, Bergen und Wäldern, bevor solche Themenvon der grünen Bewegung aufgegriffen wurden. Die in „Kühles Land“ vereinten Gedichte zeigen eindrucksvoll, wie Barnard von ihren Lehrmeistern Ezra Pound (1885–1972) und William Carlos Williams (1883–1963) das Beste übernommen und mit Eigenem zu vulminanter Lyrik verwoben hat.