All poems. 1993-2023 | Serhii Zhadan

Poems can be published either the best or all. When a poet has more than seven hundred poems, it is difficult to expect that all of them are the best. However, when they are brought together and arranged in chronological order, they take on a deeper meaning than mere poetry. As a poet, Serhiy Zhadan was born approximately together with Ukraine. Since its formation, he has been writing poems, working without interruption, for about two poems a month. So, "All Poems" is one of the most thorough stories of Ukraine over the past thirty years: with all our unexpected ups and downs, fluctuations between different directions, the killing of the syllabo-tonic and its revival, repetition of the past and the search for new ways. As you might expect, it started with a youth riot. As you might expect, today is a time for grown-up responsibility. In general, Ukraine is growing up, and along with it, Zhadan. Or maybe the other way around. In any case, the process continues, so there is hope that over time "All poems" will not be found by everyone.