Poetry as Testimony

Examining various forms of testimonial poetry, the book delves into Holocaust, war, working-class, and 9/11 poetry, highlighting their unique demands on readers. It emphasizes the need for heightened attention due to the underlying traumatic events and the complex relationship between readers and poets. Engaging with a diverse array of twentieth-century authors and new archival findings, it concludes with a discussion on 9/11 poetry as a reflection of a global response to trauma, underscoring the significance of cultural context and translation in shaping literary canons.