
POEMS - By - MAURICE MAETERLINCK - —Done into English Verse— - by BERNARD MIALL - Methuen & Co. Ltd. - 36 Essex Street W.C. - London - 1915
Translator's Preface - I
These verses invite listeners into a quiet realm where symbolism and melody intertwine. The poet, rooted in the late‑nineteenth‑century Belgian Symbolist current, draws on images of hot‑houses, bell‑glasses and diving bells to explore inner isolation and the yearning for authentic connection. Though the language is lyrical, each poem offers a clear, concrete vision that resonates even when the deeper meaning remains elusive.
The translation strives to keep the musical cadence of the original French while rendering the phrasing in plain, accessible English. Listeners will hear the same delicate balance that once appealed to readers of Verlaine, Whitman and Baudelaire, yet the voice remains unmistakably his own. This collection offers a meditative listening experience, perfect for quiet moments of reflection or for those curious about the poetic roots that shaped modernist thought.
Language
en
Duration
~46 minutes (45K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Marc D'Hooghe (Images generously made available at the Internet Archive.)
Release date
2015-09-23
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1862–1949
A quiet, dreamlike voice in European literature, this Belgian writer helped shape Symbolist drama and won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1911. His plays and essays often turn simple images—silence, fate, light, bees, blue birds—into something haunting and memorable.
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