Suvremena engleska poezija

The anthology Contemporary English Poetry (Suvremena engleska poezija), compiled and translated in 1956 by the prominent Croatian writers Ivan Slamnig and Antun Šoljan (published by Lykos, Zagreb), represents a significant turning point in Croatian literary and translation practice. This collection played a crucial role in introducing contemporary trends in Anglophone poetry to Croatian readers and exerted a powerful influence on the development of a younger generation of domestic poets during the 1950s. The book offers a representative cross-section of 20th-century English poetry, encompassing key authors who defined the era of modernism and post-war poetics. Through carefully selected poems, the reader encounters a wealth of stylistic approaches—ranging from reflective, aesthetically refined verse to the urban, everyday, and ironic motifs characteristic of the English literary scene of that period. A particular merit of this edition lies in the superb, highly attuned translations by Slamnig and Šoljan, who succeeded in faithfully conveying the rhythm, melodic quality, and layered meanings of the originals into Croatian. The volume has become an essential reference and guide for poetry enthusiasts and literary translators alike.