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Louis Aragon |
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Biography |
Louis Aragon (born Louis Andrieux) was raised in Paris where his family ran a pension. He believed the two women in his life to be his sister and foster mother, though they were actually his mother and grandmother--his mother was only 17 when she was seduced by Aragon 's father who was already married. Aragon entered the University of Paris in 1916 where he studied medicine. He was a long-time communist, and wrote poetry, novels, and essays along with being an influential editor of L'Humanité 's literary supplement, Les Lettres françaises. He was also the CEO of a publishing house. In 1932 he earned a suspended prison sentence for his poem "Front Rouge" which was said to incite mutiny. Later, in 1939, Aragon was awarded a medal for acts of bravery. Aragon died at age 85 in Paris. |
Poems |
Les Yeux d'Elsa
Tes yeux sont si profonds qu'en me penchant pour boire À l'ombre des oiseaux c'est l'océan troublé Les vents chassent en vain les chagrins de l'azur Mère des Sept douleurs ô lumière mouillée Tes yeux dans le malheur ouvrent la double brèche Une bouche suffit au mois de Mai des mots L'enfant accaparé par les belles images Cachent-ils des éclairs dans cette lavande où J'ai retiré ce radium de la pechblende Il advint qu'un beau soir l'univers se brisa Rien n'est précaire comme vivre Un jour tu passes la frontière Passe ton doigt là sur ta tempe Les arbres sont beaux en automne Peu a peu tu te fais silence C'est long vieillir au bout du compte C'est long d'être un homme une chose O mer amère ô mer profonde Rien n'est précaire comme vivre |
Themes |
The work of Louis Aragon is diverse and varied. He enjoyed both prose poems and formal verse, and he brought a renewed sense of energy to classic styles. Although he was one of the founders of surrealism, his later poems show a return to earlier sensibility inspired by Apollinaire. Although he moved mostly to writing prose after the war, his contributions to modern verse are significant. Aragon believed that love is key to absolute experience, and his companionship of 40 years with Russian writer Elsa Trolet inspired many of his poems. His poetic subjects included the feelings of young poets, war, love, and the modern world. His earlier poems were interested in the phonetic structure of the French language, whereas his later work returned towards his Classical roots. |
Bibliography |
Gavronsky, Serge. "ARAGON: POLITICS AND PICASSO." Romanic Review 92.1/2 (Jan. 2001): 47. Lazarus, H. P. "Poetry in Review." Nation 158.3 (15 Jan. 1944): 76-80. O'Brien, Justin. "Aragon's "Real World"." Nation 148.4 (21 Jan. 1939): 99-100. Rahv, Philip. "From Surrealism to Socialism." Nation 143.13 (26 Sep. 1936): 368-368. Suleiman, Susan Rubin. "ARAGON'S 'LE MENTIR-VRAI': REFLECTIONS ON TRUTH AND SELF-KNOWLEDGE IN AUTO-BIOGRAPHY." Romanic Review 92.1/2 (Jan. 2001): 61. Vaugeois, Dominique. "'LUXE, FEINTE ET VÉRITÉ...' POLEMICS, POLITICS AND POETICS IN ARAGON'S HENRI MATISSE, ROMAN." Romanic Review 92.1/2 (Jan. 2001): 87. Wall, Irwin. "THE MENTIR-VRAI AND ARAGON'S POLITICS." Romanic Review 92.1/2 (Jan. 2001): 73. Wall, Irwin. "THE PCF, STALINISM, AND THE COLD WAR." Romanic Review 92.1/2 (Jan. 2001): 13. |
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