This book (comprising four lectures presented at Trinity College, Cambridge in 1985) is concerned with the function and status of poetry in the twentieth century, and is particularly concerned to contrast attitudes in Britain and America with those in the USSR and Eastern Europe. Beginning with the function of poetry today, Professor Gifford goes on to consider the nature and validity of 'poetic witness', the problem of the poet's solitude and his relation to the community, and finally the question of how far the 'international code' of poetry can be understood by those who care for it...

All the poetry quoted in Russian has a plain prose translation, so that the book can be enjoyed by the general reader as well as the specialist student of Russian language and literature.

This book comprises four lectures presented at Trinity College in 1985 concerned with the function and status of poetry in the twentieth century.

An attempt to interpret and appraise the work of Boris Pasternak as lyrical and narrative poet, writer of prose fiction, and verse translator.