Omaäänisiä, traagisia ja vahvoja runoja. These are the kind of poems that have always intrigued me. I have finally come to accept that poetry is not just my own genre, but it is also my problem, not Plath's. Maybe I should look to her for some prose next time.
Poetry has the power to touch our souls and make us feel emotions that we may not have otherwise felt. It can be a form of self-expression, a way to communicate our deepest thoughts and feelings. And yet, it can also be a source of frustration and confusion.
As I continue to explore the world of poetry, I am constantly amazed by the different styles and voices that I encounter. Some poets write in a traditional, structured way, while others break all the rules and create something completely new and unique.
But no matter what style or voice a poet uses, the most important thing is that their words have meaning and impact. They should be able to move us, make us think, and inspire us to see the world in a new light.
Ordinarily, I always read only in Finnish. But at this point, I really notice that the translation is completely off. This English version is delightfully concise, but with the more versatile word forms in Finnish, the rhythm becomes extremely laborious and a struggle in some places. Also, the English word "bald", which could be very nicely translated into forms like "paljas" or "karu", has been almost invariably translated into the form "kalju". So I'm in the middle of something wonderful and sensitive, and in the midst of all this, I'm economically thinking about something across every bald head covering.
“It is a truly terrible thing.
To be so openly exposed: it is as if my very heart
Put on a face and boldly walked right into the world. This vulnerability feels almost too much to bear. (Three Women, 1962)
“I have earnestly tried to be blind in love, just like other women.
Blind in my bed, with my dear, blind, sweet one.
Not looking, even through the thick darkness, for the face of another. I want to believe in this love completely, to shut out all other possibilities. But sometimes, that doubt creeps in, and I wonder if I can truly be so blind. (Three Women, 1962)
These words from 'Three Women' in 1962 capture the complex emotions of love and vulnerability. The first stanza describes the horror of being so open, as if the heart has become a visible entity in the world. The second stanza shows the attempt to be blindly in love, to ignore any potential distractions or betrayals. But both stanzas also hint at the difficulty of maintaining such a state, and the inevitable doubts that can arise.