Easy French Poetry (French Today)

À l'écart du mouvement surréaliste, la poésie de Supervielle est humaine, souvent inspirée par le monde qui nous entourre et la nature.

Poète et théoricien de l'Esprit nouveau, ses oeuvres annoncent déjà surréalisme. Dans ce poème, la femme est associée à une fleur des champs, la colchique. Mais la colchique est vénéneuse, c'est donc un poison...

Paul Valéry croit que la poésie possède un pouvoir émotionnel qui peut être presque magique...

Au milieu d’une rue étourdissante, le poète croise du regard une femme qui passe et il est ébloui par sa beauté et sa noblesse. Quand elle disparaît tout à coup dans la foule, il devient découragé....

This poem in middle French, from the 17th century, is an hymn to indolence. Saint-Amant was a libertin poet, who enjoyed all the pleasures of life, liked to eat, drink, smoke and rest, as depicted in this poem.

Born in 1762, André Chénier is sentenced to death by guillotine at 32 years old, as Robespierre imposes the Terror through France.

"Le Rameur" describes a man who is rowing on a beautiful river. All is calm and you can only hear the sounds of his oars. The images are gorgeous and so is the rhythm.

In this 16th century poem written in old French, a young woman is being married to an older man. She shares with us her attempts to seduce her husband, her torments and the decision she finally takes.

Published in 1544, Scève's "Délie, objet de plus haute vertu" is a cycle of 449 poems, an endless examination of the physical and spiritual pains of an impossible love.

This fable tells a great story about a reed (which represent the people) and an all-mighty oak (representing the king)...