This book is a collection of translations of the work of an 20th Century Portugese poet. The main problem I have with this is one of translation. While in a novel the language is there to assist the story, the whole point of a poem is the language. I have to question the extent to which a poem is still the same piece of work when translated. Not only do the words change, but due to syntax difference it's only natural that the timing, rhyme and other poetic devices will be effected too.

I simply don't find these poems convincing as good poems in English. The language doesn't feel right and because it's translation you can't tell if that is what the poet wished or merely a result of it's changed state. I understand the importance of poetic translation for works of antiquity where the historical value must be counted, but these are personal poems from the early twentieth century.

I must honestly say that I didn't finish the book - in fact I didn't even attempt it in a linear fashion, but picked individual poems and read them instead. That's just how I am with poetry, I do the same with Kipling only then I usually find little works of genius and am compelled to read more.

Pessoa was able to craft a story in some of his poems, such as the Maritime Ode, but again I didn't find the style of them pleasing to read. There were occasional bits, such as the untitled poem addressed to Lydia on page eighty three, that were very good but I found that mostly they dragged and didn't work very well. I found it very introspective, much of it like reading someone's diary. I quote; "Ah! the anguish, the vile rage, the despair... The bleeding of my heart."

When we have in the English Canon the likes of Kipling, Tennyson, Byron and Keats why do we need this book? By it's very nature as a translation it can't be the genuine article and when we have such exceptional poets of our own I see little purpose for this book outside of Academic circles.

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