I am not exactly an expert on poetry (okay, I am no where near even proficient), so I wasn't surprised that I hadn't heard of this Tomas Transtromer. When I read this article I became curious about what this guy has written that made him worthy of such a prestigious prize. Here's one short poem:
National Insecurity
The Under Secretary leans forward and draws an X
and her ear-drops dangle like swords of Damocles.
As a mottled butterfly is invisible against the ground
so the demon merges with the opened newspaper.
A helmet worn by no one has taken power.
The mother-turtle flees flying under the water.
Interesting... From what I can see, he seems to mix the banal with the surreal with the political. The language in his poem November in the Former DDR is quite evocative to me, but the poem itself seems scattered. But I sense the translation aspect might be partially responsible. Plus, who am I to criticize a Nobel Prize winner for literature?
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