Art Poetique

Art Poetique by Guillevic is a highly personal account of the process and experience of writing poetry. It was published in Paris in 1989, when, at the age of eighty-two, the poet had behind him a lifetime of reading and writing. One of its distinctive features is its extremely modest tone. It is not a doctrine or a series of rules about what poetry is or should be, but the sharing of that profound experience, the personal research of a poet, his hesitations and doubts: "Do I see / What I see? / Do I hear / What I hear? Perhaps I see / What I hear, Perhaps I hear / What I see: Perhaps nothing / Of all that, / A wisp of sounds, / Colours, forms." This fully bilingual anthology, the second volume of poetry by Guillevic to be published by Black Widow Press, is the first translation into English of this work in its entirety. We hope it will help English language readers to further come to know a remarkable poet who is held in great esteem around the world.
Guillevic (1907-1997) is widely recognized as one of the most important French poets of the latter half of the twentieth century. Over thirty volumes of his poems have been published to date. He has been translated into fifty languages and his works are available in some sixty countries. His poetry has inspired countless songs and musical compositions, and over 145 limited edition volumes of his poetry have been illustrated by some of the most renowned artists: Leger, Dubuffet, Cortot, Manessier, and Baltazar among others. Annual symposiums, papers, and books continue to be written on both the poet and his works throughout the world.