Songs on the Death of Children: Selected Poems from Kindertotenlieder - Paperback

by Friedrich Rückert (Author), David Bannon (Editor), David Bannon (Translator)

German poet Friedrich Ruckert's (1788-1866) youngest children died of scarlet fever, the pandemic of his age. Over a six month period in 1834, he wrote hundreds of laments that were published posthumously in the classic poetry collection Kindertotenlieder. Here in English for the first time, these evocative modern translations by a fellow bereaved father reveal "an honest grappling with grief" (The Christian Century). Each poem is accompanied by insights into the bereaved, along with personal anecdotes, historical and cultural information, the latest research on grief, and discussions of literary and biblical allusions.

Author Biography

David Bannon taught college for many years, has appeared on The Discovery Channel, A&E and The History Channel and has been interviewed by NPR, Fox News and The Wall Street Journal. He lives in Chester, South Carolina.