Guillaume Apollinaire, poetic modernity, modernity, Zone, Alcools, French poetry, modern poetic style, Eiffel Tower, Paris, modernity and poetry
Reader
Abstract
Extract
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Abstract
Analysis of Guillaume Apollinaire's poem Zone, exploring its modern poetic style, fascination with modernity, and expression of weariness.
Extract
[...] Problematic: To what extent can we speak of poetic modernity in this excerpt? 1 - Nostalgia for the old world and fascination with modernity 2 - Expression of modernity. First movement The poet addresses him through the first-person singular pronoun. This first line expresses a certain fatigue, a certain weariness "tired" (v. 1). This first line can be characterized by a diérèse so that it rhymes with the second line and in this case, it is an alexandrine, a line that is charged with a certain solemnity. [...]
[...] We notice that the poet gives the precise location of the street as if to anchor reality in poetry, a characteristic procedure of modern poetic style: 'Located in Paris between the rue Aumont-Thiéville and the avenue des Ternes' (v. 24). Conclusion: This text can be presented as a manifesto of modern poetic style in which the poet expresses both his fascination and his repulsion towards a world in full turmoil. Apollinaire delivers his message in a resolutely modern style, without punctuation, with an unconventional treatment of rhymes and by integrating reality. [...]
[...] We note again a personification of the 'windows' (v. this time, unless it designates by metonymy the people who are at the window. The eleventh line is composed notably of a fairly long enumeration in one of the longest lines of the poem: 'the prospectuses the catalogues the posters that sing out loud'. These different elements are related to modernity, to advertising which is experiencing a particular boom at this time. The posters are also personified, 'sing' (v. 11). The expression 'voilà la poésie ce matin' ironically refers back to the previous enumeration. [...]
[...] The lines 18 to 20 develop the idea of a certain frenzy of modernity: 'four times a day it passes', 'In the morning three times the siren moans' then furious bell barks towards noon' with again the personification of the siren and the bell, the first being presented as moaning and the second as barking. We are therefore in the presence of a dysphoric sound universe. The lines 21 and 22 present a new characteristic enumeration of modernity: 'The signs and wall inscriptions / The plates the notices in the manner of parrots screech'. We can be struck by the originality of written messages that would emit a sound, in this case an unpleasant sound 'screech' (v. [...]
[...] Apollinaire introduces an element of modernity in the fourth line with the mention of 'automobiles'. The world is in full transformation at this time and the first cars are appearing, although they seem 'old'." Paradoxically, 'religion' (v. is presented as 'remaining entirely new' when it is rather associated spontaneously with tradition. We can note that 'religion' is repeated twice at the beginning and end of the verse in this poem, otherwise without any punctuation, which is a peculiarity of Apollinaire's poetic writing. [...]
