Literary_career Rachel_Bluwstein

rachel poetess

as member of editorial staff of davar newspaper, zalman rubashov later zalman shazar, became third president of israel, encouraged write , publish poetry.

her work in russian switched hebrew. of poems written in final 6 years of life, on small notes friends. in 1920 first poem, mood, published in hebrew newspaper davar. majority of poems published there on weekly basis, , became popular jewish community in palestine , later, state of israel.

rachel known lyrical style, brevity of poems, , revolutionary simplicity of conversational tone. majority of poetry set in pastoral countryside of land of israel. many of poems echo feelings of longing , loss, result of inability realize aspirations in life. in several poems mourns fact never have child of own. lyrical, exceedingly musical , characterized simple language , deep feeling, poetry deals fate, own difficult life, , death. love poems emphasize feelings of loneliness, distance, , longing beloved. touches upon hardships , laments of pioneer reminiscing of times spent in labouring on land. lighter poetry ironic, comic. writing influenced french imagism, biblical stories, , literature of second aliyah pioneers. major creative influence on rachel’s poetry acmeists , leader, russian poet anna akhmatova. rachel’s style reflects movement’s strive “clarity, accuracy, conciseness, , economy of language” in poetry.

in poems rachel expresses identification biblical figures such rachel, namesake matriarch, , michal, wife of david.

rachel wrote one-act comic play mental satisfaction, performed not published in lifetime. ironic vignette of pioneer life rediscovered , published in literary journal.