Review of Song of the Ground Jay (Expanded Edition)

[mark liu]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Song of the Ground Jay (Expanded Edition)" by Translator: Mojdeh Bahar.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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It is always a pleasure to read poetry, especially thoughtfully selected and well-written poetry. Needless to say, I had a pleasure reading this anthology, with each poem giving me more value and food for thought. This work takes you on a cultural journey, from modern-day perspectives to a rediscovery of ancient ideas and philosophies.

Song of the Ground Jay (Expanded Edition) by Mojdeh Bahar is a thoughtful and superbly edited collection of Persian poetry by women. I would consider this work to be a piece of literature in its own right. I especially praise this work for its breaking of literary stereotypes. With many current works predominantly written by men, this work makes a conscious choice to celebrate Persian life and society from the perspective of women.

I shall first discuss how impressed I am with the sheer quality and quantity of the poetry. Prior to picking up this work, I was not aware of the sheer quantity of poetry written by Persian women. I was also unaware that I was missing out on such excellent poetry. As somebody who has enjoyed poetry by many classical western poets, it was a refreshing and welcome experience to widen my palette into a new realm of poetry I have never explored before. The poems themselves span a huge range of themes, from themes of nature and society to themes of love and family. Each poem is undeniably unique, yet each poem shares a common thread; each poem is a true and very real insight into the lives of each of their extraordinary creators. From a literary perspective, the form of the poetry and writing is unique, and at times I caught myself re-reading lines to simply appreciate them for their own literary merit. The poems all contain their original, untranslated text. I personally do not have the knowledge to comment on the poems in their original, untranslated form; however, I am sure they hold even more features worthy of high praise.

I could praise the quality and selection of poetry for a very long time; however, I feel the editing of this book requires its own praise in its own respect. Bahar themselves translated the entire collection of poetry, purposely selecting unique poems that had yet to be translated in order to maximise the number of new poems that can be celebrated in this work. Their work has enabled this poetry to reach a new world of readers, an invaluable feat. The structure of this anthology is also worthy of the highest praise. The editing ensures that the poets as well as their work are given equal recognition, with each poet having a small introduction such as notable works, education, and year of birth, to name some of the details. These all enhance the reading experience, allowing the reader to add context to the poetry by reading the poems with the background of the poets in mind. This extraordinary feat is perfected by the elegance of the editing, with each collection of poetry being uninterrupted and easy to follow from poet to poet.

I could find nothing to dislike about this work. I thoroughly enjoyed each word I read.

Needless to say, I rate this anthology 5 out of 5 stars. I consider this collection of poetry to be invaluable in spreading the stories of Persian women and undeniably a work of literature. The editing was not only flawless but also added to the entire experience.

I recommend this work to anybody with an interest in Persian life and society or anybody looking for a beautiful collection of literature. I consider this collection to be comparable to classical collections of poetry.

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Song of the Ground Jay (Expanded Edition)
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[Risper Ouma Anyango]

I have never read any book or poems made by Persians. More so women. I have a feeling that I will enjoy this book since women have so many wild thoughts. I loved your review