I have always loved reading and analyzing poetry and writing my own. I decided to begin a new series in which I feature one poet that has written beautiful poems or has inspired me. For the month of March, I wanted to feature Jacques Prévert. I originally learned about him in my French III class and was immediately intrigued to read his other works. Let me know if you like this series, and you can also check out other posts here.
I love Prévert because he has a very unique style that can be eloquent and descriptive at times, or blunt and matter-of-fact. In his one fo his famous poems: Déjeuner du Matin, he just presents a list of actions without emotion, conveying a dramatic ending that still carries that matter-of-fact tone, making it more mysterious. For this poem, when researching who the narrator could be, I stumbled upon one theory that the narrator is a wife who has regretfully grown apart from her husband for an unknown reason. I provided the English translation below so you can get a taste of his writing style.
He put the coffee
In the cup
He put the milk
In the cup of coffee
He added the sugar
In the coffee with milk
With the little spoon
He stirred
He drank the coffee with milk
And he rested the cup
Without speaking to me
He lit
A cigarette
He made circles
With the smoke
He put the ashes
In the ashtray
Without speaking to me
Without looking at me
He got up
He put
His hat on his head
He put on
His raincoat
Because it was raining
And he left
Under the rain
Without a word
Without looking at me
And I took
My head in my hands
And I cried.
The next poem is called Le Message. This one is similar to the previous because Prévert follows suit with the tone and style. After reading several mundane lines, you are struck with a sudden change of events, and almost forced to re-read the passage to understand what happened. You could form many different opinions about what you think the letter could've said, but I think that it might have been news that the main character's lover had left and never would return. Let me know what you think because I am interested in hearing different opinions.
The door that somebody opened The door that somebody shut The seat somebody sat in The cat somebody petted The fruit somebody bit into The letter somebody read The chair that somebody knocked over The door that somebody opened The road that somebody is still running on The woods that somebody is crossing The river somebody jumped into The hospital where somebody died.
Another poem I really like is called Paris de Nuit. This poem is written more artistically than his other works, and it is one of my favorites for this reason. The matches bring a very mystical effect and the description for why each match is lit is very beautifully written.
Three matches one by one lit in the night The first to see your face in its entirety The second to see your eyes The last to see your mouth And the darkness all around to remind me of all these As I hold you in my arms
The following poem, called The Bird-catcher's Song, is probably my favorite that Prévert has written. The illustrative connection between a heart and a bird is so beautiful and the flow of the whole poem is very eloquent throughout.
The bird that flies so gently The bird red and warm as blood The bird so soft
The bird that mimics The bird who is suddenly afraid The bird who suddenly hits himself The bird who would like to fly away The bird panicked and alone The bird who would like to live The bird who would like to sing The bird who would like to cry out The bird red and warm as blood The bird who flies so gently It’s your heart pretty child Your heart that beats its wings so sadly Against your breast so strong so white
This last poem is probably Prévert's most famous work. Entitled "Quicksand", this masterpiece conveys a love story with so much depth within just a few lines. It describes a person who is watching a lover while he/she is sleeping and comparing their beauty to the ocean. This poem does take a bit more analyzing and thinking than the others, but it's definitely something you should read.
Demons and marvels Winds and tides Far away already the sea has gone out And you Like seaweed gently caressed by the wind In the sands of sleep you stir dreaming Demons and marvels Winds and tides Far away already the sea has gone out But in your half-open eyes Two little waves remain Demons and marvels Winds and tides Two little waves to drown myself in
I hope you enjoyed reading about my current favorite poet and some of his best works. I really loved analyzing some of his works that I haven't looked at before and gaining a better appreciation for his work. Thanks again for reading!