Earthly Signs: Moscow Diaries, 1917-1922

Marina Ivanovna Tsvetaeva, 1892-1941 Marina Ivanovna Tsvetaeva was born on October 8, 1892 in Moscow. Her first collection appeared in 1910, and she ranks among the major twentieth-century Russian poets. Her numerous lyrics and long poems are distinguished by great vigor and passion and an astonishing technical mastery. Her language and rhythms are highly innovative. In subject, her poetry varies greatly, often diary-like but also intensely concerned with the fate of her generation, of Russia, and of Europe. Tsvetaeva did not shy away from controversial topics, often opposing received dogma, be it Soviet or Russian emigre. She frequently subsumed herself in other characters, merging dramatic and lyrical elements. Particularly striking are her long poems Poem of the Mountain, Poem of the End, and Ratcatcher and her later collections Craft (1923) and After Russia (1928). After emigrating from the Soviet Union, Tsvetaeva also seriously turned to prose. Jamey Gambrell writes on Russian art and culture.