num_pages: 204
description: In poems marked by tenderness and mischief, humanity and humor, Yehuda Amichai breaks open the grand diction of revered Jewish verses and casts the light of his own experi­ence upon them. Here he tells of history, a nation, the self, love, and resurrection. Amichai’s last volume is one of medi­tation and hope, and stands as a testament to one of Israel’s greatest poets. Open closed open. Before we are born, everything is openin the universe without us. For as long as we live, everything is closedwithin us. And when we die, everything is open again.Open closed open. That’s all we are.—from “I WASN’T ONE OF THE SIX MILLION:   AND WHAT IS MY LIFE SPAN? OPEN CLOSED OPEN”
language: English
title: Open Closed Open
titlecomplete: Open Closed Open
genres: Judaism, Theology, Jewish, Judaica, Israel, Poetry, Nonfiction
ratings_count: 261
awards: awardedAt: 978336000000
name: PEN Award for Poetry in Translation
publisher: Ecco