The poem is structured in twenty-one quatrains, which follow the same pattern. Éluard names many places, real or imaginary, on which he would write the word liberté. The first three lines of each begin with Sur (On) followed by the naming of a place, and the last line is twenty times, like a refrain, J'écris ton nom (I write your name). The 21st stanza reveals that name, saying Pour te nommer Liberté. (To name you Liberty). The first stanza reads:
French
English
Sur mes cahiers d’écolier Sur mon pupitre et les arbres Sur le sable sur la neige J’écris ton nom.
On my notebooks On my desk and the trees On the sand on the snow I write your name.
Background
The original title of the poem was Une seule pensée (A single thought). Éluard comments:
Je pensais révéler pour conclure le nom de la femme que j’aimais, à qui ce poème était destiné. Mais je me suis vite aperçu que le seul mot que j’avais en tête était le mot Liberté. Ainsi, la femme que j’aimais incarnait un désir plus grand qu’elle. Je la confondais avec mon aspiration la plus sublime, et ce mot Liberté n’était lui-même dans tout mon poème que pour éterniser une très simple volonté, très quotidienne, très appliquée, celle de se libérer de l’Occupant.[3] (I thought of revealing at the end the name of the woman I loved and for whom this poem was intended. But I quickly realized that the only word I had in mind was the word Liberté. Thus, the woman I loved embodied a desire greater than her. I confounded it with my most sublime aspiration, and this word Liberté was itself in my whole poem only to eternalize a very simple will, very daily, very apt, that of freeing oneself from the occupation.)
Publication
The poem was published on 3 April 1942, without apparent censorship, in the clandestine book of poetry Poésie et vérité 1942 (Poetry and truth 1942).[4] According to Max Pol Fouchet, he convinced Éluard to reprint the poem in June 1942 in the magazine Fontaine, titled Une seule pensée, to reach the southern Zone libre.[5] The same year, it was printed in London in the official Gaullist magazine La France libre and thousands of copies were dropped by parachute by British aircraft of the Royal Air Force above occupied France maquis.[6] In 1945, the poem was published by Éditions de Minuit in Eluard's poetry book Au rendez-vous allemand.[7] The complex history of Éluard's collections is detailed by the editors of his complete works, Lucien Scheler and Marcelle Dumas, particularly in Vol. 1 of Bibliothèque de la Pléiade, 1975, p. 1606–1607.
Legacy
Francis Poulenc composed in 1943 Figure humaine, FP 120, a cantata for double mixed choir of 12 voices on this and seven other poems by Éluard. Written during the German occupation of France, it could not be performed in France, but was premiered in a radio broadcast of the BBC in English on 25 March 1945.[8]
Liberal quotings from the poem created an underlying theme in the 2014 drama film Maps to the Stars.[9]
References
^Hollier, Denis; Bloch, R. Howard (1998). A New History of French Literature. Harvard University Press. p. 949. ISBN978-0-674-61566-3.
^Shcheglov, Konstantinovich (1987). Poetics of Expressiveness: A Theory and Applications. John Benjamins Publishing. p. 87. ISBN9789027215222.
^"Liberté" (in French). fresques.ina.fr. Retrieved 6 February 2017.
^Éluard, Paul (1942). Poésie et vérité 1942 (in French). Les Éditions de la main à plume.
^Fouchet, Max Pol (1978). "A propos du poème «Liberté » d'Eluard in n° 22 de Fontaine. Juin 1942" (PDF). Les poètes de la Revue Fontaine (in French). Cherche Midi. p. 211. ISBN9782222019817.
^"La poésie de la résistance" (in French). copiedouble.com. Retrieved 6 February 2017. "One of the poems is Liberté, printed on leaflets, it is distributed in mass since it is parachuted by the RAF in thousands of copies, in crates with weapons, in the French maquis" (maquis shrubland (very difficult to penetrate, only on foot, sort of European jungle) hence maquis (World War II)
^Paul Eluard / Au rendez-vous allemand / suivi de Poésie et vérité 1942 (avec le poème Liberté ) 1945. (in French) les editions de minuit.fr
^Collin, Robbie (September 26, 2014), "Maps to the Stars, review: 'tremendous'", The Daily Telegraph, retrieved 30 January 2017
External links
Full English text
Liberté, read by Paul Eluard on YouTube
Liberté de Paul Eluard frenchtoday.com. This link leads to a translation by a native French-speaker who understands her own language, even if native English-speakers might argue with some of the phrasing. The Full English text linked to above contains at least one error in understanding the French. "Les places qui débordent" means quite simply "squares which overflow (with people)". There are also some doubtful choices of vocabulary or interpretation. There will be many other translations on-line.
Third page of the poem Liberté in the book Poésie et verité 1942 by Paul Eluard (Paris: Roger Lacourière [fr], 1947) art.famsf.org
Paul Eluard’s poem Liberté used in a film by David Cronenberg: conflicting rights regarding the use of the poem in a film.
Fifth page of the poem Liberté in the book Poésie et verité 1942 by Paul Eluard (Paris: Roger Lacourière, 1947) art.famsf.org
liberté, poem, liberté, liberty, 1942, poem, french, poet, paul, Éluard, liberty, written, during, german, occupation, france, libertéby, paul, Éluardwritten5, march, 1942, march, 1942, first, published, inpoésie, véritécountryfrancelanguagefrenchpublication, . Liberte Liberty is a 1942 poem by the French poet Paul Eluard It is an ode to liberty written during the German occupation of France 1 2 Liberteby Paul EluardWritten5 March 1942 5 March 1942 First published inPoesie et veriteCountryFranceLanguageFrenchPublication date3 April 1942 1942 04 03 Lines84 Contents 1 Description 2 Background 3 Publication 4 Legacy 5 References 6 External linksDescription EditThe poem is structured in twenty one quatrains which follow the same pattern Eluard names many places real or imaginary on which he would write the word liberte The first three lines of each begin with Sur On followed by the naming of a place and the last line is twenty times like a refrain J ecris ton nom I write your name The 21st stanza reveals that name saying Pour te nommer Liberte To name you Liberty The first stanza reads French EnglishSur mes cahiers d ecolier Sur mon pupitre et les arbres Sur le sable sur la neige J ecris ton nom On my notebooks On my desk and the trees On the sand on the snow I write your name Background EditThe original title of the poem was Une seule pensee A single thought Eluard comments Je pensais reveler pour conclure le nom de la femme que j aimais a qui ce poeme etait destine Mais je me suis vite apercu que le seul mot que j avais en tete etait le mot Liberte Ainsi la femme que j aimais incarnait un desir plus grand qu elle Je la confondais avec mon aspiration la plus sublime et ce mot Liberte n etait lui meme dans tout mon poeme que pour eterniser une tres simple volonte tres quotidienne tres appliquee celle de se liberer de l Occupant 3 I thought of revealing at the end the name of the woman I loved and for whom this poem was intended But I quickly realized that the only word I had in mind was the word Liberte Thus the woman I loved embodied a desire greater than her I confounded it with my most sublime aspiration and this word Liberte was itself in my whole poem only to eternalize a very simple will very daily very apt that of freeing oneself from the occupation Publication EditThe poem was published on 3 April 1942 without apparent censorship in the clandestine book of poetry Poesie et verite 1942 Poetry and truth 1942 4 According to Max Pol Fouchet he convinced Eluard to reprint the poem in June 1942 in the magazine Fontaine titled Une seule pensee to reach the southern Zone libre 5 The same year it was printed in London in the official Gaullist magazine La France libre and thousands of copies were dropped by parachute by British aircraft of the Royal Air Force above occupied France maquis 6 In 1945 the poem was published by Editions de Minuit in Eluard s poetry book Au rendez vous allemand 7 The complex history of Eluard s collections is detailed by the editors of his complete works Lucien Scheler and Marcelle Dumas particularly in Vol 1 of Bibliotheque de la Pleiade 1975 p 1606 1607 Legacy EditFrancis Poulenc composed in 1943 Figure humaine FP 120 a cantata for double mixed choir of 12 voices on this and seven other poems by Eluard Written during the German occupation of France it could not be performed in France but was premiered in a radio broadcast of the BBC in English on 25 March 1945 8 Liberal quotings from the poem created an underlying theme in the 2014 drama film Maps to the Stars 9 References Edit Hollier Denis Bloch R Howard 1998 A New History of French Literature Harvard University Press p 949 ISBN 978 0 674 61566 3 Shcheglov Konstantinovich 1987 Poetics of Expressiveness A Theory and Applications John Benjamins Publishing p 87 ISBN 9789027215222 Liberte in French fresques ina fr Retrieved 6 February 2017 Eluard Paul 1942 Poesie et verite 1942 in French Les Editions de la main a plume Fouchet Max Pol 1978 A propos du poeme Liberte d Eluard in n 22 de Fontaine Juin 1942 PDF Les poetes de la Revue Fontaine in French Cherche Midi p 211 ISBN 9782222019817 La poesie de la resistance in French copiedouble com Retrieved 6 February 2017 One of the poems is Liberte printed on leaflets it is distributed in mass since it is parachuted by the RAF in thousands of copies in crates with weapons in the French maquis maquis shrubland very difficult to penetrate only on foot sort of European jungle hence maquis World War II Paul Eluard Au rendez vous allemand suivi de Poesie et verite 1942 avec le poeme Liberte 1945 in French les editions de minuit fr Figure humaine FP 120 cantate BNF Retrieved 4 February 2017 Collin Robbie September 26 2014 Maps to the Stars review tremendous The Daily Telegraph retrieved 30 January 2017External links EditFull English text Liberte read by Paul Eluard on YouTube Liberte de Paul Eluard frenchtoday com This link leads to a translation by a native French speaker who understands her own language even if native English speakers might argue with some of the phrasing The Full English text linked to above contains at least one error in understanding the French Les places qui debordent means quite simply squares which overflow with people There are also some doubtful choices of vocabulary or interpretation There will be many other translations on line Third page of the poem Liberte in the book Poesie et verite 1942 by Paul Eluard Paris Roger Lacouriere fr 1947 art famsf org Paul Eluard s poem Liberte used in a film by David Cronenberg conflicting rights regarding the use of the poem in a film Fifth page of the poem Liberte in the book Poesie et verite 1942 by Paul Eluard Paris Roger Lacouriere 1947 art famsf org Paul Eluard Liberty 1943 shmoop comPortals poetry France Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Liberte poem amp oldid 1088755587, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
