" "...The poet comes into possession of an important, essential message, one that has the prestige and mystery of eternity..." -Daniel Cristea-Enache For the first time in English: the beloved poems of Nichita Stanescu, Romania's most influential postwar poet. In his world, angels and mysterious forces converse with the everyday and earthbound while love and a quest for truth remain central. His startling images cut deep and his grappling-making bold leaps-is full of humor. His poems seduce the reader away from the human. Nichita Stanescu (1933-1983) towers above post-World War II Romanian poetry. His poems are written in clear language while posing profound metaphysical questions. He was born in Ploiesti in 1933 and died in 1983 in Bucharest. He is one of the most acclaimed contemporary Romanian language poets, winner of the Herder Prize and nominated for the Nobel Prize"-- "Nominated for the Nobel Prize and winner of the Herder Prize, Nichita Stanescu is perhaps the most celebrated postwar Romanian poet. His world is one where angels and mysterious forces converse with the everyday and earthbound, where love and passion and a quest for truth are central, where urgent questions flow. His startling images cut deep"--