An epic poem about youth

Gorter, Herman | Hardback | 01-02-2022 | 9789083133621

‘May’ is Volume 1 of ‘The Essential Gorter’. The classic original Dutch text ‘Mei’ is included in this special edition.

‘May’ describes the magical journey of adolescence against the background of Holland’s flowery dunescapes. In strokes of wonder-filled impressions a stunningly unspoiled girl, May, explores the promise of springtime and the intense spiritual life of youth.

However, the cycle of life always moves on, and as May matures and returns to earth, she finds it readying for summer.

When Herman Gorter published ‘May’ (Dutch: Mei) in 1889, this spontaneous and vibrant epic poem was immediately recognized by his peers as a landmark of Dutch literature. ‘May’ was perhaps an inevitable product of the artistically revolutionary and highly lucid spirit in The Netherlands of the 1880s. While Gorter’s contemporary, Vincent Van Gogh, had just completed the groundbreaking ‘Sunflowers’ series of paintings, Gorter succeeded with ‘May’ in composing his own artistic monument of colourful and innovative power.

‘The reader is drawn almost breathlessly onward through magnificent word-groups … full of surprising turns of phrase … Before you know it, you’ll be reading it out loud!’ – Lloyd Haft, poet

‘Closer to Gorter is near impossible’ – Jan de Jong for Tzum.

‘A must-read for anyone with an interest in language and poetry…’ – Dr. Jacqueline Bel, Professor of Literature, VU Amsterdam, CAANS Magazine.

‘This thoughtful, lyrical translation will stir the imagination and invite consideration of what makes the heart sing, even if the joy, like May, is only temporary. The poem, though, will endure.’ – Editor’s Pick, Booklife

Translated by M. Kruijff. Bilingual and annotated edition.