- Foreword by Lloyd Haft- Introduction: The melancholy in my May- May- Herman Gorter (1864-1927)- Acknowledgments- Notes to the textHerman Gorter's masterpiece, in a translation that celebrates youth's sweet melancholy.Special bilingual and annotated edition, with a foreword by Lloyd Haft. Volume 1 of 'The Essential Gorter'.'May' is Volume 1 of 'The Essential Gorter'. The classic original Dutch text 'Mei' is included in this special edition. 'May' describes the magical journey of adolescence against the background of Holland’s flowery dunescapes. In strokes of wonder-filled impressions a stunningly unspoiled girl, May, explores the promise of springtime and the intense spiritual life of youth. However, the cycle of life always moves on, and as May matures and returns to earth, she finds it readying for summer. When Herman Gorter published 'May' (Dutch: Mei) in 1889, this spontaneous and vibrant epic poem was immediately recognized by his peers as a landmark of Dutch literature. 'May' was perhaps an inevitable product of the artistically revolutionary and highly lucid spirit in The Netherlands of the 1880s. While Gorter’s contemporary, Vincent Van Gogh, had just completed the groundbreaking 'Sunflowers' series of paintings, Gorter succeeded with 'May' in composing his own artistic monument of colourful and innovative power.'The reader is drawn almost breathlessly onward through magnificent word-groups ... full of surprising turns of phrase ... Before you know it, you'll be reading it out loud!' - Lloyd Haft, poet'Closer to Gorter is near impossible' - Jan de Jong for Tzum.'A must-read for anyone with an interest in language and poetry...' - Dr. Jacqueline Bel, Professor of Literature, VU Amsterdam, CAANS Magazine.'This thoughtful, lyrical translation will stir the imagination and invite consideration of what makes the heart sing, even if the joy, like May, is only temporary. The poem, though, will endure.' - Editor's Pick, BooklifeTranslated by M. Kruijff. Bilingual and annotated edition.After 132 years, Herman Gorter's classic Dutch masterpiece 'May' is for the first time available to the English reader. An interpretation from the heart, this illustrated translation celebrates the carefree springtime of our lives. 'May' is Volume 1 of 'The Essential Gorter'. The original text 'Mei' is included. Shortlisted voor de Best Book Awards 2022 (Finalist).'The translation has been done meticulously ... with an intensity of language which reveals intuitive clarity of vision and profound empathy ... I recommend that you begin this journey without loss of time.' - Anne Walter, editor, ex. Birmingham University'Closer to Gorter is near impossible' - Jan de Jong, for Tzum, reviewer and poet'Both volumes [of The Essential Gorter] are a must-read for anyone with an interest in language and poetry...' - Prof. dr. Jacqueline Bel, Professor of Literature at VU Amsterdam, in CAANS magazine (Canadian Association for the Advancement of Netherlandic Studies)