---
product_id: 8188836
title: "Poems of Paul Celan: A Bilingual German/English Edition, Revised Edition"
price: "$86"
currency: NZD
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 11
url: https://www.desertcart.nz/products/8188836-poems-of-paul-celan-a-bilingual-german-english-edition-revised
store_origin: NZ
region: New Zealand
---

# Poems of Paul Celan: A Bilingual German/English Edition, Revised Edition

**Price:** $86
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Poems of Paul Celan: A Bilingual German/English Edition, Revised Edition
- **How much does it cost?** $86 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.nz](https://www.desertcart.nz/products/8188836-poems-of-paul-celan-a-bilingual-german-english-edition-revised)

## Best For

- Customers looking for quality international products

## Why This Product

- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Description

Poems of Paul Celan: A Bilingual German/English Edition, Revised Edition [Celan, Paul, Hamburger, Michael] on desertcart.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Poems of Paul Celan: A Bilingual German/English Edition, Revised Edition

Review: Trust Steiner - It is an inauspicious beginning to a review to admit that I am really not positioned well to evaluate this collection. I came to Celan from reading George Steiner and George Steiner has nothing but high praise for this collection. Steiner is, like Celan, haunted by the Holocaust, particularly the degree to which the Holocaust changes our views of language, art and culture and, a fortiori, humanity. Celan is, in effect, the poet who gives voice to Steiner's feelings, but that voice is strikingly complex and sometimes opaque in its simplicity. In speaking of cultural literacy E.D. Hirsch will point out that there are passages in texts where we understand the individual words (more or less) but still fail to grasp the overall meaning of the texts because we do not share the material that can go unspoken, the material which those with cultural literacy can take for granted. In the case of Celan the 'background' that is not immediately apparent may be literary; it may be historical and it may be utterly personal. We read the words and can achieve some sense of the meaning that emerges from them but have a great deal of difficulty understanding them in their ultimate richness and complexity. There are some exceptions, as in the powerful and haunting poem, 'Death Fugue', but such poems are few and far between here. The vast majority of the poems create impressions but do not, for the uninitiated, convey specific meanings. The poems are printed in facing pages with the German texts on the verso pages. Divide the 333 pp. or so by two and you have a sense of the length of the book. Some of the poems are very brief. Hence, one can read through the entire text in two hours or so (or spend decades doing so). The bottom line is that you can gain an elementary appreciation of the nature of Celan's work here in a relatively brief period of time, even though you realize throughout the exercise that you are not even beginning to scratch the surface of the depth of his feelings and his ability to utilize his linguistic medium in profound ways. I trust Celan because I trust Steiner, but understanding him at any level of depth will perforce be the labor of years.
Review: Classic Collection - This excellent edition of Paul Celan's major poetry (translated excellently by Michael Hamburger) provides the full scope of Celan's considerable genius. Included is the famous 'Death Fugue,' perhaps the most darkly beautiful and profound works of art about the Holocaust yet created. One is left with Celan's transitions; he began immersed in the syle of early 20th century German poets suck as Rilke, and later progressed in Breathturn and Threadsuns to reveal his capacity for highly creative and original linguistic play. The final poems are characterized by a deep morbidity and anguish; they are patently indicative of the poet's distrught spirits. He would later kill himself by drowning. Celan is now written about intensively by the philosophers Derrida and Lyotard, he is probably as important to them as Holderlin was to Heidegger. The editor has included a poem that Celan did not intend for publication; but you can understand why it was included, as it is a magnificent triumph of expressive sorrow over the loss of his parents during the war. Celan was a very great poet, readers are still trying to catch up with his complexity and deep artistic insight.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| ASIN  | 089255276X |
| Best Sellers Rank | #276,512 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #61 in German Poetry (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars (51) |
| Dimensions  | 5.4 x 1 x 8.3 inches |
| Edition  | Bilingual |
| ISBN-10  | 9780892552764 |
| ISBN-13  | 978-0892552764 |
| Item Weight  | 1 pounds |
| Language  | English |
| Print length  | 416 pages |
| Publication date  | November 1, 2002 |
| Publisher  | Persea |

## Images

![Poems of Paul Celan: A Bilingual German/English Edition, Revised Edition - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61kFNSJ4f3L.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Trust Steiner
*by R***Z on May 1, 2018*

It is an inauspicious beginning to a review to admit that I am really not positioned well to evaluate this collection. I came to Celan from reading George Steiner and George Steiner has nothing but high praise for this collection. Steiner is, like Celan, haunted by the Holocaust, particularly the degree to which the Holocaust changes our views of language, art and culture and, a fortiori, humanity. Celan is, in effect, the poet who gives voice to Steiner's feelings, but that voice is strikingly complex and sometimes opaque in its simplicity. In speaking of cultural literacy E.D. Hirsch will point out that there are passages in texts where we understand the individual words (more or less) but still fail to grasp the overall meaning of the texts because we do not share the material that can go unspoken, the material which those with cultural literacy can take for granted. In the case of Celan the 'background' that is not immediately apparent may be literary; it may be historical and it may be utterly personal. We read the words and can achieve some sense of the meaning that emerges from them but have a great deal of difficulty understanding them in their ultimate richness and complexity. There are some exceptions, as in the powerful and haunting poem, 'Death Fugue', but such poems are few and far between here. The vast majority of the poems create impressions but do not, for the uninitiated, convey specific meanings. The poems are printed in facing pages with the German texts on the verso pages. Divide the 333 pp. or so by two and you have a sense of the length of the book. Some of the poems are very brief. Hence, one can read through the entire text in two hours or so (or spend decades doing so). The bottom line is that you can gain an elementary appreciation of the nature of Celan's work here in a relatively brief period of time, even though you realize throughout the exercise that you are not even beginning to scratch the surface of the depth of his feelings and his ability to utilize his linguistic medium in profound ways. I trust Celan because I trust Steiner, but understanding him at any level of depth will perforce be the labor of years.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Classic Collection
*by S***R on May 7, 2007*

This excellent edition of Paul Celan's major poetry (translated excellently by Michael Hamburger) provides the full scope of Celan's considerable genius. Included is the famous 'Death Fugue,' perhaps the most darkly beautiful and profound works of art about the Holocaust yet created. One is left with Celan's transitions; he began immersed in the syle of early 20th century German poets suck as Rilke, and later progressed in Breathturn and Threadsuns to reveal his capacity for highly creative and original linguistic play. The final poems are characterized by a deep morbidity and anguish; they are patently indicative of the poet's distrught spirits. He would later kill himself by drowning. Celan is now written about intensively by the philosophers Derrida and Lyotard, he is probably as important to them as Holderlin was to Heidegger. The editor has included a poem that Celan did not intend for publication; but you can understand why it was included, as it is a magnificent triumph of expressive sorrow over the loss of his parents during the war. Celan was a very great poet, readers are still trying to catch up with his complexity and deep artistic insight.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Wonderful book.
*by D***M on July 14, 2024*

Exceptional translation of the poems of a great poet and notes about his tragic life.

---

## Why Shop on Desertcart?

- 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016
- 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories
- 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price
- 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members)
- 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection
- ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews

**Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.nz/products/8188836-poems-of-paul-celan-a-bilingual-german-english-edition-revised](https://www.desertcart.nz/products/8188836-poems-of-paul-celan-a-bilingual-german-english-edition-revised)

---

*Product available on Desertcart New Zealand*
*Store origin: NZ*
*Last updated: 2026-02-23*