A Science Not for the Earth: Selected Poems and Letters

[M]uch of the pleasure of reading Baratynsky comes from following him on his tentative, meandering trains of thought. The exploratory, essayistic quality of his verse is refreshing, particularly when considered against the polished perfection of Pushkin. Grau captures that quality impeccably. … In his translations of both the poems and the letters, Grau represents Baratynsky’s tone with show more effortless grace, and yet somehow the book does not feel dated; pulling this off seems almost like a magic trick. … These are fully-fledged English poems that provide a window onto the Russian past. show less

The publication of Rawley Grau’s translations into English of a selection of Baratynsky’s most significant poems and letters is a welcome development in what one hopes is the growing field of Baratynsky studies in the West, and it provides a valuable resource for making the poet’s work more accessible to the English-speaking reader. … [B]y and large, the translations are some of the show more best I have seen for conveying Baratynsky’s meaning into English. … As for the translations as English-language poems, they range from quite readable examples of blank or free verse to, through Grau’s use where possible of poetic techniques such as full rhyme, near rhyme, sight rhyme, and assonance, genuinely inspired pieces of poetry, managing to combine the conventions of rhymed verse with a contemporary sound. … This book is a significant contribution to Baratynsky scholarship in the West and will, one hopes, lead to a broader dissemination of his work in the English-speaking literary and scholarly community. show less

[Baratynsky's] lyrics and selected letters expose him as a captivating figure whose work also functions as a commentary on the futility of [the] writing project itself. … Baratynsky has long been admired in Russia; Grau's fine translation reveals him to the wider world.