This is an excellent selection of Pushkin's lyric poetry, translated by Anthony Wood. He strives to replicate meter and rhyme in addition to capturing the sense of Pushkin's often-complex verse. Here is his rendering of the final verse of Ode to Liberty, the 1817 poem that got Pushkin exiled:

Learn then, rulers of the world:
No dungeon, no reward,
No piety, no punishment
Can be your faithful guard.
But if you are the first to bow
Before the trusted Law,
The People’s peace and liberty
Will keep your throne secure.

And the original:

И днесь учитесь, о цари:
Ни наказанья, ни награды,
Ни кров темниц, ни алтари
Не верные для вас ограды.
Склонитесь первые главой
Под сень надежную Закона,
И станут вечной стражей трона
Народов вольность и покой.

The edition also includes a helpful chronology of Pushkin's life that would be very useful in the classroom. There are also notes and explanations to help even non-Russophile readers understand more background.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for a digital ARC for the purpose of an unbiased review.

This is a great collection of "selected poetry" by Pushkin. I'll definitely be getting this one for our shelves.

I am a big fan of Russian literature, and Puskin in general, so I was happy to see a Penguin Classic of one of the most influential writers in Russian history. Penguin Classic has always been my go-to edition for classic lit. The poems were organized by type then chronologically which I think is the best way to go and I appreciated the detail in Wood's "Translating Pushkin". The introduction is helpful and detailed and provides a great introduction to Pushkin and Russian poetry in general. Overall a great addition to Penguin Classics and I look forward to grabbing a physical copy when it's released.

Many thanks to Penguin and NetGalley for a free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.