Poetry of Revolution: Romanticism and National Projects

The audacity he refers to carries the double meaning of a bold gesture as well as a worthy

artistic project. So innovative is this book that he cautions against its arrogance (“sans

morgue,”) while also rejecting the pessimism and death obsessions which have so far haunted

both nation and poetry. Ironically, the poet who has so vehemently written against foreign

military force ends with images of combat, revealing how inescapably and powerfully Haiti

remained defined in terms of conflict. The military imagery, however, is commingled with the

notion of inspiration, with the juxtaposition of general words like “soldier” and “combat” with

soul and book and with the dual meaning of others like “clairon” and “souffler.” The choice of

the word “éperdu” conveys strong but again violent sentiment, making the general tone of the

last poem one which is proud and forceful (and yet is there still a touch of pessimism even here,

since “le clairon éperdu” could also read “le clairon est perdu?”). As much as this poem

concludes the collection, it also calls for a future announcement and action, leading to an

anticipation of something more to come. Referencing recent criticism about Latin literature once

again offers insight into Coicou’s project: literary texts may be viewed not only as representation

of society but as an intervention in it as well.^310 Coicou’s literal, political intervention is

explained in the following pages.

It is in this light that an earlier poem in the collection “Défaillance” becomes relevant. At

first, the poem doesn’t stand out among others which allude to failure. It begins with the poet

addressing the hypocrisy he sees in those whose harmonious words don’t match their treacherous

(^310) Habinek 3. In his introduction, the more complete quote reads: “Without abandoning earlier study of language,
form, and literary tradition, scholars have begun to consider as well the means through which literature was
produced and circulated.[...] The present study continues this interest in texts and contexts, but with a crucial shift
in emphasis. Instead of viewing texts as chiefly illustrative of or reactive to social, political, and economic
practices, it regards literature as a medium through which competing sectors of Roman society sought to advance
their interests over and against other sources of social and political authority. In other words, literature is here
studied not only as representation of society, but as an intervention in it as well.”