My Discovery of America
by Vladimir Majakovskij
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In My Discovery of America, now in its first English translation, the leading poet of Revolutionary Russia offers a fascinating account of his travels in the U.S. Touring America, by way of an enforced sojourn in Mexico, Russian poet and indefatigable traveler Vladimir Mayakovsky was able to observe firsthand what he considered to be the model for Soviet development. Although ideologically at odds with much of American culture, and taking every opportunity to propound his own political show more beliefs en route, he delighted in the creativity and advancement he saw, believing it to be the future for mankind. His impressions, presented here in full for the first time in English, form an inspired collection of sketches, thoughts, jottings, and poems. Vladimir Mayakovsky was the foremost poet of the Russian Revolution of 1917 and one of the founders of Russia’s Futurism movement. show lessTags
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Eighty years later, it is astonishing and terrifying how much of what he saw still holds. If it's somewhat disconcerting (but interesting) to meet this poetic genius in the guise of a Communist haranguer, the three poems at the end alone are already worth the price of this beguiling, electric, neon-highlighted, righteous-minded, at times screamingly funny travelogue.
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411+ Works 2,435 Members
Mayakovsky was one of Russia's most important avant-garde poets. A member of the Futurist group of painters and poets in the century's second decade, he became noted for his flamboyant public appearances, aesthetic iconoclasm, and very real verbal brilliance. Early involvement with the Bolsheviks in 1908 was followed years later by endorsement of show more the new Soviet government. Mayakovsky placed his talents at the service of the Soviet state, although his dreams for radical cultural changes were rebuffed by the new rulers, most of whom had relatively conservative tastes in literature. During the civil war and the 1920's, Mayakovsky wrote a great deal of agitational verse of varying quality; he also wrote film scenarios and two plays. A notable figure in the Soviet Union, with a considerable international reputation, he was allowed to travel abroad. However, he also drew harsh criticism for his deviation from the increasingly rigid cultural norms. This, combined with problems in his personal life, ultimately led to his suicide at age 36---an event that resounded greatly in Soviet culture. Mayakovsky was a great innovator in versification, striking in his use of extravagant metaphor and hyperbole. His experiments with rhythm, rhyme, and language affected many poets, and this originality went hand in hand with great lyric talent, often refracted through comic and tragic personas. Among his most important achievements are his long narrative poems, such as "A Cloud in Trousers" (1915), "War and the World" (1916), and "About That" (1923). Also excellent are his plays, "The Bedbug" (1928) and "The Bathhouse" (1929)---brilliant satires of Soviet philistinism and bureaucracy. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- My Discovery of America
- Original title
- Мое открытие Америки
- Original publication date
- 1926
Classifications
- Genres
- Nonfiction, Literature Studies and Criticism
- DDC/MDS
- 917.304915 — History & geography Geography & travel Geography of and travel in North America United States subdivisions and modified standard subdivisions Travel; guidebooks 1901- 1901-1953
- LCC
- PG3476 .M312 — Language and Literature Slavic languages and literatures. Baltic languages. Albanian language Slavic. Baltic. Albanian Russian literature Individual authors and works 1917-1960
- BISAC
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- 505,424
- Reviews
- 1
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- (3.00)
- Languages
- 7 — English, Finnish, French, Greek, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 8
- ASINs
- 1
