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Notes
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English translation of the title: Return to the Book
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English translation of first line: More than one chapter I've slammed the door on.
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Author's note: 1947
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The poem likens the impossible dream of return to the poet's pre-war youth to turning back the pages of a book to find a picture of a girl by a stream. At first she is still, as though lifeless, but through speaking to her the poet reanimates her and she smiles. The implication seems to be that only poetry can recover the lost past, to any degree.
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Last amended 20 Nov 2012 11:19:54
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