Alcools

Guillaume Apollinaire

• Publisher: University of California Press
• Year: 2023
• Print ISBN: 9780520374812
• eBook ISBN: 9780520349933
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: French Literary Criticism
• Index: Literature

The publication of Alcools marked a turning point in modern poetry with Guillaume Apollinaire's vivid and inventive voice. The opening lines of "La Chanson du Mal-Aimé" reflect a scene that captivated readers upon its discovery, portraying a blend of melancholy and bold, bohemian spirit that challenges traditional poetic structures. Apollinaire's work resonated with readers for its raw evocativeness, free of ornate rhyme schemes, instead exploring an expressive musicality and deeper, sometimes dreamlike themes. By 1909, Apollinaire, born Wilhelm-Apollinaris de Kostrowitzky, was gaining recognition within avant-garde circles, admired for his connections with artists and for his literary innovations. His personal history, shaped by an unconventional upbringing, transient romances, and an immersion in various cultural influences, fueled his poetry's dynamic style. "La Chanson du Mal-Aimé, " initially published in a truncated form, captures the intensity and complexity of his experiences and relationships, culminating in his first major collection, Alcools, in 1913. This work was significant not only for Apollinaire's bold content but also for his choice to omit punctuation, a deliberate stylistic choice that invites fluid interpretation and emphasizes the poem's rhythmic cadence and emotional tone. Throughout Alcools, Apollinaire's poetry merges tradition and innovation, resonating with the mystical allure of folk song, romantic imagery, and urban melancholy. The poems evoke a timeless search for identity, meaning, and connection in an increasingly fragmented world, blending the old with the radically new. The mix of myth, contemporary references, and introspective depth in Alcools encapsulates Apollinaire's contributions to modernist poetry, establishing him as a transformative figure in early 20th-century literature. This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press's mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1965.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Table des Matières Contents
• Zone
• Zone
• Le Pont Mirabeau
• Mirabeau Bridge
• La Chanson du Mal-Aimé
• The Song of the Poorly Loved
• Les Colchiques
• The Crocuses
• Palais
• Palace
• Chantre
• Singer
• Crépuscule
• Twilight
• Annie
• Annie
• La Maison des Morts
• The House of the Dead
• Clotilde
• Clotilde
• Cortège
• Procession
• Marizibill
• Marizibill
• Le Voyageur
• The Traveler
• Marie
• Marie
• La Blanche Neige
• White Snow
• Poème lu au mariage dAndré Salmon
• Poem Read at Andre Salmon’s Wedding
• L'Adieu
• The Farewell
• Salomé
• Salomé
• La Porte
• The Door
• Merlin et la vieille Femme
• Merlin and the Old Woman
• Saltimbanques
• Mountebanks
• Le Larron
• The Thief
• Le Vent nocturne
• Night Wind
• Lui de Faltenin
• Lul of Faltenin
• La Tzigane
• The Gypsy
• L'Ermite
• The Hermit
• Automne
• Autumn
• The Emigrant from Landor Road
• L’ÉMIGRANT DE LANDOR ROAD
• Rosemonde
• Rosemonde
• Le Brasier
• The Brazier
• Rhénanes
• Signe
• Sign
• Un Soir
• One Evening
• La Dame
• The Lady
• Les Fiançailles
• The Betrothal
• Clair de Lune
• Clair de Lune
• 1909
• 1909
• A la Santé
• At the Santé
• Automne malade
• Sickly Autumn
• Hotels
• Hotels
• Cors de Chasse
• Hunting Horns
• Vendémiaire
• Vendémiaire
• Notes
• Bibliography