The Yale Anthology of Twentieth-Century French Poetry

part 2. 1916–1930: dada and the heroic period of surrealism Le Corset Mystère Mes belles lectrices, à force d’en voir de toutes ...

André Breton 1896–1966 tinchebray, france P ublished in 1924, Breton’s ‘‘Manifesto of Surrealism’’ initiated the Sur- realist mo ...

part 2. 1916–1930: dada and the heroic period of surrealism Autrefois les meubles de ma chambre étaient fixés solidement aux mur ...

ANDRÉ BRETON It used to be that my room’s furnishings were solidly fixed to the walls and I had to be strapped down to write: I’ ...

part 2. 1916–1930: dada and the heroic period of surrealism Sous l’ongle de l’absence et de la présence qui sont de connivence T ...

ANDRÉ BRETON Under the fingernails of absence and presence in collusion All the looms are withering just a bit of perfumed lace ...

part 2. 1916–1930: dada and the heroic period of surrealism Ton désœuvrement m’emplit les yeux de larmes Une nuée d’interprétati ...

ANDRÉ BRETON Your idleness fills my eyes with tears A nimbus of meanings surrounds each of your gestures Like a honeydew hunt Th ...

part 2. 1916–1930: dada and the heroic period of surrealism L’Union libre Ma femme à la chevelure de feu de bois Aux pensées d’é ...

ANDRÉ BRETON Free Union My love whose hair is woodfire Her thoughts heat lightning Her waist an hourglass My love an otter in th ...

part 2. 1916–1930: dada and the heroic period of surrealism Au dos de lumière À la nuque de pierre roulée et de craie mouillée E ...

ANDRÉ BRETON Whose back is light The nape of her neck is crushed stone and damp chalk And the fall of a glass where we just dran ...

part 2. 1916–1930: dada and the heroic period of surrealism Les bancs de poissons les haies de mésanges Les rails à l’entrée d’u ...

ANDRÉ BRETON The shoals of fish the hedges of titmice The rails at the entrance of a great station The reflections of both river ...

part 2. 1916–1930: dada and the heroic period of surrealism La Sadique Judith Qui était Judith Elle s’était fait en haut de sa m ...

Claude Cahun (Lucy Schwob) 1894–1954 nantes, france C ahun was a versatile artist, poet, essayist, literary critic, political ac ...

part 2. 1916–1930: dada and the heroic period of surrealism C’est pourquoi ne témoignons point d’impatience... Mais considérons ...

CLAUDE CAHUN So let’s not show any impatience... But let’s consider that these tortures are still less than our sins... Judith’s ...

part 2. 1916–1930: dada and the heroic period of surrealism «Un oiseau sans ailes, un tout petit tombé du nid est à mes pieds. J ...

CLAUDE CAHUN ‘‘A wingless bird, a tiny little one fallen from his nest is at my feet. I kneel down (he is living!), I hold him i ...