THE SADDEST FLOWER OF ALL

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Back in 1958, Lawrence Ferlinghetti published his own translations of poems by Jacques Prevert. Paroles (originally released in French in 1949) would be #9 in the Pocket Poet series. At the time, Ferlinghetti only published the English translations. In 1990, Ferlinghetti decided to reprint Paroles with the original French poems facing the translations.

I have a copy of both versions but obviously the bilingual version is much better. I have always liked the en face style of bilingual volumes. The original language will be on the left and the translations will be on the right. This allows the reader to compare the two languages line for line.

Jacques Prevert has been a controversial figure in poetry on several levels. He railed against a lot of the inhumanity of society in the years following WWII which made him a hero to the underground. But he was also lambasted by the literati for being too simplistic and sentimental. Ferlinghetti likens him to a poetic Charlie Chaplin. There are times that I find his poems to be akin to saccharine but the overall effect is pleasing to me. I do like the analogy to a surrealist clown. Surely the world needs a few of those.

Many of the poems in this collection do speak directly to the youth of France. There were many who felt disenfranchised from both Church and State. Prevert seemed to offer an alternative humanist world view. Flowers and Wreathes (Fleurs et couronnes) reflects on the saddest of all flowers: human thought. This is a long poem that reflects on humanity's tendency to overthink. I love the opening to Pater Noster: “ Our Father who art in Heaven/Stay there/and we'll stay here on Earth/which is sometimes so pretty.” This may not go over well with the Falwell gang but it does express a great view that we need to make life better here on Earth. That is something we have to do for ourselves.

I Am As I Am (Je Suis comme Je Suis) is a bit simplistic but effective. This starts to reflect the overly sentimental quality that sometimes infects Prevert's poetry. Do we really need a French poet to echo Popeye the Sailor Man? Well, I'm just asking. We start getting into that maudlin quality to which Ferlinghetti referred. The Dunce (Le Cancre) continues this sentimentality as we find the dunce who says no with his head but yes with his heart.

Despair Is Seated on a Bench (Le Desappoir est Assis sur un Banc) continues with the sentimentality. Of course, in reality Despair wakes up on Bench in Tompkins Square Park 9 AM; frazzled nerves, drums pounding in ears; needing a few minutes to regroup. . .Oh wait, that's my own story. I like the poem anyway because it does draw a poignant picture of an old man sitting on a park bench watching life go by.

A poem like Song In the Blood (Chanson Dans la Sang) is a more powerful poem. This is where Prevert can excel. He has a deep sensitivity toward the cruelty that often exists in humanity. He frets over those great puddles of blood that exist all over the planet. He seems to take a more pessimistic view on our ability to eventually transcend the violence. He does in other poems hold out hope that we will ultimately rise above.

Paroles is a volume of poetry that I have turned back to many times over the last 20 years. It can be a bit sickly sweet at times but I do find myself greatly admiring Prevert. He is very direct with his views and does express a strong humanist hope for a better world. It is a great collection for the fan of 20th Century poetry

Author's Notes/Comments:

This is a brief review of Paroles--a collection of poems by Jacques Prevert. This is one of my personal favorite selections of poetry. I wrote this review for a site called epinions a number of years ago. I thought I would share it here.