Mappings (poetry)
Encyclopedia
Mappings is a first book of poems by Vikram Seth
originally published by the Writers Workshop, Calcutta (now Kolkata
), as a hand-set, hand-printed and hand-bound volume ("in Hardback or Flexiback") in 1980 or 1981 (the Flexiback edition copyright date is 1981). With the growth of Seth's reputation, the volume has been reprinted by mainstream publishers (ISBN: 0-670-05846-7).
Original poems range from a cautionary tale in rhyming couplets ("The Tale Of Melon City"), through Seth's characteristic musings - some serious and some light-hearted - on life, love and landscape, to the title poem reflecting on the different selves "mapped" by his earlier writings. Interspersed with these are translations (one each) from the Chinese of Du Fu
, the Urdu of Faiz Ahmed Faiz
, the German of Heinrich Heine
and the Hindi of Suryakant Tripathi Nirala. Other poems incude 'The Frog and the Nightingale' etc.
Vikram Seth
Vikram Seth is an Indian poet, novelist, travel writer, librettist, children's writer, biographer and memoirist.-Early life:Vikram Seth was born on 20 June 1952 to Leila and Prem Seth in Calcutta...
originally published by the Writers Workshop, Calcutta (now Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
), as a hand-set, hand-printed and hand-bound volume ("in Hardback or Flexiback") in 1980 or 1981 (the Flexiback edition copyright date is 1981). With the growth of Seth's reputation, the volume has been reprinted by mainstream publishers (ISBN: 0-670-05846-7).
Original poems range from a cautionary tale in rhyming couplets ("The Tale Of Melon City"), through Seth's characteristic musings - some serious and some light-hearted - on life, love and landscape, to the title poem reflecting on the different selves "mapped" by his earlier writings. Interspersed with these are translations (one each) from the Chinese of Du Fu
Du Fu
Du Fu was a prominent Chinese poet of the Tang Dynasty.Along with Li Bai , he is frequently called the greatest of the Chinese poets. His greatest ambition was to serve his country as a successful civil servant, but he proved unable to make the necessary accommodations...
, the Urdu of Faiz Ahmed Faiz
Faiz Ahmed Faiz
Faiz Ahmad Faiz was a Pakistani intellectual, poet, and one of the most famous poets of the Urdu language. He was a member of the Anjuman Tarraqi Pasand Mussanafin-e-Hind and an avowed Marxist. In 1962, he was awarded the Lenin Peace Prize by the Soviet Union...
, the German of Heinrich Heine
Heinrich Heine
Christian Johann Heinrich Heine was one of the most significant German poets of the 19th century. He was also a journalist, essayist, and literary critic. He is best known outside Germany for his early lyric poetry, which was set to music in the form of Lieder by composers such as Robert Schumann...
and the Hindi of Suryakant Tripathi Nirala. Other poems incude 'The Frog and the Nightingale' etc.