Poems of Paul Verlaine

by Paul Verlaine

This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

Genres: Poetry, French Literature, Classics, 19th Century, France

39 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 2004

About the author

Paul-Marie Verlaine was a French poet associated with the Symbolist movement. He is considered one of the greatest representatives of the fin de siècle in international and French poetry.

Despite Rimbaud admiring his poetry, these poets had a stormy affair which led to Verlaine's incarceration after shooting Rimbaud. This incident indirectly preceded his re-conversion to Roman Catholicism.

Verlaine's last years were particularly marked by alcoholism, drug addiction and poverty.

His poems have inspired many composers, such as Chopin, Fauré and Poldowski.

Art Poétique describes his decadent style and alludes to the relevance of nuances and veils in poetry.

Reviews

[Martyna Antonina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5☆

W poezji Verlaine'a pięknie przeplatają się skrajne delikatności. Brak tu uczuć wyrazistych i żywiołowych, za tu dużo menalcholijnych radości i subtelnych smutków. Jego liryczno-ironiczne utwory zachwycają swoją komunikatywnością i bawią sarkastycznym przekąsem. Wiersze, szczególnie te z "Poematów saturnijskich", "Dobrej piosenki" i "Romansów bez słów" są niemalże malarskie. Impresjonizm pejzaży metafizycznych, które tworzy Verlaine jest w nich ujmująco czuły.
"Mądrość" uważam za najgorszy podtomik. Może to kwestia tego, że poematy religijne nie są mi bliskie, jednak czułam w nich niespójność względem stylu poety.
Za to "Elegie" mają w sobie przewrotną dojrzałość, która może nie była w moim poetyckim guście, ale wciąż niezwykle intrygowała.
Warto też zwrócić uwagę na konstrukcję niektórych dzieł, która perfekcyjnie rezonuje z treścią i oddaje ich klimat, i specyficzny ton.

[Matt Miles · Rating 3 out of 5]

I tend to rate books of poetry based on the overall feeling they leave me with, and by that standard, this collection shares the romantic/religious aspirations and longings of the author fairly well. I wish the poems had dates attached to them so newbies like me could figure out when Verlaine was writing them, but you get what you pay for. As poetry goes, it's not a bad appetizer.

[V]

It might have been the translation, but this book did nothing for me. I might check out another translation of Verlaine sometime since he was supposed to be groundbreaking, but I wouldn't recommend this version to anyone.

[Kastoori · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most riveting poets I have ever come across. Verlaine's poetry is hypnotic and reminiscent of vintage aquarelle paintings. I'd say he is one of the finest French Symbolist poets of all time.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know little about Verlaine. The English translation seems more awkward, words more poorly chosen, than they really ought to be- is this to respect the poet or is it clumsiness?

[Realini Ionescu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poems by Paul Verlaine – we find the Selected Poems at 7100 on The Greatest Books of All Time site and The One Hundred and One Poems by Paul Verlaine even lower on that page, nonetheless, they are among my favorites…you have thousands of reviews on magnum opera from the GOAT and other lists on my blog https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20... and YouTube channel


10 out of 10

‘Words create worlds’ https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20... I don’t know the source of the original quote, but I have heard this in the YouTube videos of the most popular courses at Harvard, which you could, maybe should access for free, Positive Psychology from the wondrous Tal Ben Shahar

Paul Verlaine is nec plus ultra for yours truly, who has learned three of these masterpieces by heart, decades ago, and then enjoyed them ever since, even during…swimming, I used to take laps for about half an hour, and ‘entertained the time with thoughts of love’, it could be boring, just looking at the floor of the pool
However, the above line is from The Sonnets https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20... of William Shakespeare, ranked 652nd on The Greatest Books of All time, whereas The Selected Poems are just 7100th, for the under signed, there is no difference, both are spectacular

I wonder how they are perceived today: ‘brule aux yeux des femmes’ is this sexist, acceptable today? It is not just that for me, but ravishing, scintillating, I mean the whole thing, and especially: ‘Tu refleuriras Dans un élysée! Ame méprisée. Tu rayonneras!’ such a majestic, uplifting message, you will flower in a garden, and shine
https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20... Petrarca is another divine poet, and I used them both for my swimming, but also the past relationships, the present one is beyond redemption, if I tried, I think I would hear again that I should be hospitalized, or institutionalized, taken to a hospice anyway

then there is ‘Dans des gloires calmes, Au vent pur des palmes, Sur l'aile du ciel!’ or else the crème de la crème, it sounds fantastic, this is an accurate descrition of heaven on earth, in the wind of the palm trees, in ‘calm glories’, and you also have another poem, venerating the beloved, and more generally, das ewig weibliche
https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20... which is from Goethe, and it was translated, or better said adapted as ‘the eternal feminine is bringing us to heaven’, something like that, in my language, it does not really work, when taken from one language, and then to a third one…

“Cuisses belles, seins redressants, Le dos, les reins, le ventre, fête, Pour les yeux et les mains en quête Et pour la bouche et tous les sens” this is As Good as It Gets https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20... but there is more, for another note on Verlaine, if possible, or Insha’Allah

[Joseph Spuckler · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very nice collection of traditional poems translated from French.

[Diana Trăncău · Rating 3 out of 5]

En sourdine

Tranquil in the twilight dense
By the spreading branches made,
Let us breathe the influence
Of the silence and the shade.

Let your heart melt into mine,
And your soul reach out to me,
'Mid the languors of the pine
And the sighing arbute-tree.

Close your eyes, your hands let be
Folded on your slumbering heart,
From whose hold all treachery
Drive forever, and all art.

[إســرٰاء☾ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Melody of melancholy moonlight