Romances sans paroles
1874
First Published
3.69
Average Rating
70
Number of Pages
Songs without Words, translated from Romances sans paroles, is the poetry collection in which, unabashedly, Paul Verlaine becomes himself and in the process becomes the iconic poet of 19th-century France. A book of musical sequences, it seeks and finds exquisite purity of expression, and it is a book of intertwining narratives also, each of which entertains abasements and ecstasies, crises, crimes, and expiations. Written during Verlaine’s wanderings with the poet Arthur Rimbaud, the focus of his infatuation and the downfall of his marriage and home life, exhaustion is everywhere counterpoised with exaltation, squalor with splendor. And yet, in nearly every syllable, the dignity of poetry and of human affections proves inviolable. This collection has been expertly translated from the French while retaining the spirit of the original.
Avg Rating
3.69
Number of Ratings
783
5 STARS
22%
4 STARS
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3 STARS
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2 STARS
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1 STARS
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Author
Paul Verlaine
Author · 34 books
Paul-Marie Verlaine was a French poet associated with the Symbolist movement. He is considered one of the greatest representatives of the fin de siècle in international and French poetry. Despite Rimbaud admiring his poetry, these poets had a stormy affair which led to Verlaine's incarceration after shooting Rimbaud. This incident indirectly preceded his re-conversion to Roman Catholicism. Verlaine's last years were particularly marked by alcoholism, drug addiction and poverty. His poems have inspired many composers, such as Chopin, Fauré and Poldowski. Art Poétique describes his decadent style and alludes to the relevance of nuances and veils in poetry.
