Versty

the long version

"The eighty-four poems in Milestones mark Marina Tsvetaeva's passing from mere youthful talent to complete mastery of her craft. Composed between January and December 1916, these poems find the twenty-four-year-old poet thirsting for the fullness of life while, at the same time, contemplating the inevitability of death - a theme to which she was to return many times in her career. Tsvetaeva's work of this time also reflects her knowledge of and pride in her native culture, especially the preeminence of Moscow. Throughout the verse she opens up to the wonders of nature and to her little daughter Alya, who would later come to figure widely in the work and legacy of her mother. Milestones displays a sensual array of moods, themes, styles, and rhythms - all the ingredients that would in time reveal Tsvetaeva as one of the most daring and original poets of her age."--Jacket.