Introduction to French Poetry (Dual-Language)
Product ID: 1695033
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An unusually useful survey of the development of French poetry, this book anthologizes works by France's finest and most influential poets — 30 in all — from the mid-fifteenth century to our own time. Included are such luminaries as Charles d'Orléans, François Villon, Joachim du Bellay, Ronsard, La Fontaine, Voltaire, Chénier, Hugo, Musset, Gautier, Vigny, Baudelaire, Mallarmé, Verlaine, Rimbaud, Claudel, Valéry, Apollinaire, Perse, Éluard, and Bonnefoy. In addition the work of poets less familiar to the English-speaking world, yet instrumental in the formulation of the French tradition — Scève, Saint-Amant, Malherbe — is here as well. The French texts come from the best critical editions, or in the case of the moderns, those authorized by the poets themselves. Teachers of French will appreciate the clear prose translations on facing pages; the translator does not attempt to be a poet himself, rather to lead the reader to a full appreciation of the poem as it was written. An introductory essay gives as understandable a short summary of the formal aspects of versification as can be found anywhere — the early orthodoxy of rhyme and meter, the gradual introduction of enjambment and metrical variation, through the word games and innovations of Apollinaire and his circle. A biographical and critical essay on each poet and his work not only depicts the poet as an individual but also gives a fine sense of the progressing and changing tradition of French poetry itself. An illustration, usually a portrait of the poet, accompanies each selection. The clarity and comprehensiveness of this attractive anthology (as well as its low cost) make it an ideal volume for an introductory survey of French poetry. For the student just beginning the study of French, this book is good supplementary material; the format of this book makes it easy to experience French poetry and learn vocabulary and grammar at the same time. Review: Beautiful poetry! - The poetry is beautiful and I love that the book includes an introduction to each poet. I don’t read very much in French so this dual language book is quite helpful. The book was delivered quickly and well worth the price! Review: Older poetry - Too old
| Best Sellers Rank | #310,764 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #34 in French Poetry (Books) #170 in French Literature (Books) #787 in Literary Criticism & Theory |
| Customer Reviews | 4.5 out of 5 stars 151 Reviews |
R**F
Beautiful poetry!
The poetry is beautiful and I love that the book includes an introduction to each poet. I don’t read very much in French so this dual language book is quite helpful. The book was delivered quickly and well worth the price!
L**E
Older poetry
Too old
A**R
Great book for learning how to translate
This book is great if you're interested in learning how to translate poetry. I like that I can look at the English translations if I need to.
M**D
A good tool for mapping out further explorations of French poetry
"introduction to French Poetry: A Dual-Language Book," edited by Stanley Applebaum, is a useful introduction to French verse. Thirty poets, active from the 15th to the 20th centuries, are covered, with each allotted a two-page biography and one or two poems. Meanwhile, a 13-page introduction provides broad perspective and a three-page tutorial on the metrical and structural nature of the verse. And, of course, the dual-language presentations are useful learning tools. All this said, this volume is uneven in assessing its chosen poets, with its ambitious goals frequently compromised by the limited space allotted per writer. To cite but one example, the assessment of Charles Baudelaire and his impact on the evolution of French poetry is far more successful than the material provided in this regard for Arthur Rimbaud. On balance, this anthology is best regarded as a good first step in mapping out with other books additional exploration of the riches of French poetry.
R**D
What a Treat!
French poetry is too subtle for a non-French speaker, like me, to enjoy without help. But, dual language French/English books make it not only possible, but fun! Love it!
A**I
Idk
Wasn’t what I was expecting but that just could be because I’m knew to French poetry . I write poetry for a magazine so I love poetry itself but couldn’t get into this poetry book
L**R
Fine little introduction to French poetry
This book is pretty darn erudite, and has a nice selection given the brevity of the volume. The artless, straightforward translations are totally useful.
B**N
french poetry
great selection of french poets in a value full price range, includes major french poets from the twentieth and twenty first century.
G**K
Good Introduction
This is a good introduction to French poetry. The introductions to each poet are helpful as are the verse translations. There is a wide variety of poets from different ages, and whilst some of the earlier ones are difficult to read because of the archaic spelling it is a comprehensive guide. Perhaps the older spellings could have been updated, but that may not be acceptable to purists. I am pleased with the purchase.
H**S
Great For French Learners
Lovely little book, a great way to add to your knowledge of the French language if you are learning. I am no expert on poetry but this seemed like a nice overview of some key poets spanning a fair period of time. There is some history/contextual info on the poets so it's more than just a list of poems in English and French. However it is a rather slender tome, so it doesn't contain an extensive number of poems, but it's just perfect for carrying on the tube and dipping into.
D**N
A great compendium
A historical journey through French poetry, focussing on the poems themselves with additional commentary. The dual language approach makes it very accessible for those who cannot (yet) understand French, as well as for those seeking to understand early French.
A**R
One for students of French poetry
This book is ideal for anyone beginning to study the construct of French poetry and how it has changed over the decades, as an overview of this information is given, together with a synopsis about the poets' as their work is introduced . Others not interested in this aspect of French poetry may find they do not need or enjoy this aspect of the book. Overall a comprehensive introduction to French poetry and French poets.
G**G
Not enough poetry
I bought this because I love learning French. I have family in France and I adore poetry. This is a nice introduction to the history of French poets. It gives a small bio of each poet in the book. But sadly there is only one poem per bio. Making this more an informative book about French poets rather than a book of French poetry. What this did bring was the original poem in its native tongue and a translation on the next page. It has given me names of poets to now look up, but I would of liked this book to be more about the poetry and have more poems in its pages.
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