The Complete Poetry of Aimé Césaire gathers all of Cesaire's celebrated verse into one bilingual edition. The French portion is comprised of newly established first editions of Césaire's poetic ouvre made available in French in 2014 under the title Poésie, Théâtre, Essais et Discours, edited by A. J. Arnold and an international team of specialists. To prepare the English translations, the translators started afresh from this French edition. Included here are translations of first editions of the poet's early work, prior to political interventions in the texts after 1955, revealing a new understanding of Cesaire's aesthetic and political trajectory. A truly comprehensive picture of Cesaire's poetry and poetics is made possible thanks to a thorough set of notes covering variants, historical and cultural references, and recurring figures and structures, a scholarly introduction and a glossary. This book provides a new cornerstone for readers and scholars in 20th century poetry, African diasporic literature, and postcolonial studies.

Aimé Césaire
translated by Clayton Eshleman and A. James Arnold

The Complete Poetry of Aimé Césaire gathers all of Cesaire's celebrated verse into one bilingual edition. The French portion is comprised of newly established first editions of Césaire's poetic oeuvre made available in French in 2014 under the title Poésie, Théâtre, Essais et Discours, edited by A. J. Arnold and an international team of specialists. To prepare the English translations, the translators started afresh from this French edition. Included here are translations of first editions of the poet's early work, prior to political interventions in the texts after 1955, revealing a new understanding of Cesaire's aesthetic and political trajectory. A truly comprehensive picture of Cesaire's poetry and poetics is made possible thanks to a thorough set of notes covering variants, historical and cultural references, and recurring figures and structures, a scholarly introduction and a glossary. This book provides a new cornerstone for readers and scholars in 20th century poetry, African diasporic literature, and postcolonial studies.

Introduction Chronology The Original 1939 Notebook of a Return to the Native Land The Miraculous Weapons (1946) Solar Throat Slashed (1948) Lost Body (1950) Ferraments (1960) i, laminaria... (1982) Noria (1976-1994) Like a Misunderstanding of Salvation (1994) Notes on the Poems Glossary Works Cited Acknowledgments About the Translators •Index

Introduction Chronology Cahier d'un retour au pays natal (1939) Les Armes miraculeuses (1946) Soleil cou coupé (1948) Corps perdu (1950) Ferrements (1960) moi, laminaire... (1982) Noria (1976-1994) Comme un malendendu de salut (1994) Notes on the Poems Glossary Works Cited Acknowledgments About the Translators •Index