Born in Germany in 1929, Enzensberger grew up in Nazi Nuremburg and bloomed during the Cold War. His poetry is built upon titanic German wreckage and tradition: always historical, lyrical, and, in different ways, revolutionary. He dares to sport a sublime malice towards all and charity for few. His revelations have something in common with the 16th century German painter Grünewald, whose Madonnas are both spiritual and lascivious. The result is poetry of terror and beauty few would attempt to write. —Stanley Moss