Pierre Reverdy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pierre Reverdy
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Pierre Reverdy (by Modigliani, 1915)
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| Born | 13 September 1889 Narbonne, France |
| Died | 17 June 1960 (aged 71) Solesmes, France |
| Occupation | Poet, critic |
| Nationality | French |
| Period | 1910–1960 |
| Literary movement | Surrealism |
Pierre Reverdy (born September 13, 1889 – died June 17, 1960) was an important French poet. His poems were inspired by and later influenced major art movements like Surrealism, Dadaism, and Cubism. Even though his work fit well with the ideas of Surrealism, Reverdy preferred to stay independent. He was always looking for deeper meanings in his writing, aiming for what he called "the sublime simplicity of reality."
Contents
Early Life
Pierre Reverdy was born in a region of southern France called Occitanie, near Narbonne. His father was a winegrower. His family had a history of working as stonemasons and sculptors, often on churches. Pierre was taught to read and write at home by his father.
Life in Paris
In October 1910, Reverdy moved to Paris. He spent his early years there focusing on his writing. In Paris, he met many famous artists and writers at a place called the Bateau-Lavoir in Montmartre. These included Guillaume Apollinaire, Max Jacob, Louis Aragon, André Breton, Philippe Soupault, and Tristan Tzara. They all admired his poetry.
Reverdy published his first small book of poems in 1915. A second collection, Les épaves du ciel, came out in 1924 and made him more famous. His poems were often short and vivid, like paintings made with words. They were similar to the art style of Cubist painters. André Breton, a leader of the Surrealist movement, even called Reverdy "the greatest poet of the time."
In 1917, Reverdy helped start an important magazine called Nord-Sud (meaning "North-South"). This magazine featured many works from the Dadaist and Surrealist movements. The name Nord-Sud was inspired by a Paris subway line that connected the artistic areas of Montmartre and Montparnasse. Reverdy wanted to connect these two lively parts of the city through his magazine.
Over time, Reverdy, who was a serious and spiritual person, began to move away from the busy art scene in Paris. In 1926, he decided to live a simpler life. He became a Catholic and moved with his wife, Henriette, to a small house near a Benedictine abbey in Solesmes. He lived a quiet, almost monastic life there for the next thirty years, only visiting Paris sometimes.
Life in Solesmes
While living in Solesmes, Reverdy wrote several poetry collections. These included Sources du vent, Ferraille, and Le Chant des morts. He also published two books of his thoughts on literature, called En vrac and Le livre de mon bord.
During World War II, when Germany occupied France, Reverdy joined the French Resistance. This group fought against the Nazi occupation. After Paris was freed from Nazi rule, Reverdy's group helped capture a French agent who had worked for the Germans.
Close Friendships
One of Reverdy's most important friendships was with the famous fashion designer Coco Chanel. They were very close friends for many years, from 1921 onwards. Even after their closest period, they remained good friends for about forty years. Reverdy was fascinated by Chanel's wealthy social circle. Chanel was very supportive of his poetry. She helped him feel more confident and even secretly bought his manuscripts to help him financially.
It is believed that many of the famous sayings attributed to Coco Chanel were actually written with Reverdy's help. He helped her express her ideas about life, style, and love in a very clever way.
Reverdy remained a loyal friend to Chanel throughout his life. In 1960, feeling that his death was near, he wrote a poem to her, showing his deep affection:
Dear Coco, here it is
The best of my hand
And the best of me
I offer it thus to you
With my heart
With my hand
Before heading toward
The dark road’s end
If condemned
If pardoned
Know you are loved
Death
Pierre Reverdy died in 1960 at Solesmes.
What Others Said About Him
Many writers admired Pierre Reverdy's work.
The American poet Frank O'Hara once wrote:
A glass of papaya juice
and back to work. My heart is in my
pocket, it is Poems by Pierre Reverdy.
The writer Paul Auster described Reverdy's poems as unique. He said they combine deep personal feelings with everyday details. Auster felt that Reverdy's poems invite the reader to step into the world he created.
Works
- 1915 Poèmes en prose
- 1916 La Lucarne ovale
- 1916 Quelques poèmes
- 1917 Le Voleur de Talan (a novel)
- 1918 Les Ardoises du toit
- 1918 Les Jockeys camouflés et période hors-texte
- 1919 La Guitare endormie
- 1919 Self defence. Critique-Esthétique.
- 1921 Étoiles peintes
- 1921 Cœur de chêne
- 1922 Cravates de chanvre
- 1924 Pablo Picasso et son œuvre (about Picasso's work)
- 1924 Les Épaves du ciel
- 1925 Écumes de la mer
- 1925 Grande nature
- 1926 La Peau de l'homme
- 1927 Le Gant de crin
- 1928 La Balle au bond
- 1929 Sources du vent
- 1929 Flaques de verre
- 1930 Pierres blanches
- 1930 Risques et périls (short stories from 1915-1928)
- 1937 Ferraille
- 1937 Preface for Déluges by Georges Herment
- 1940 Plein verre
- 1945 Plupart du temps, poems 1915-1922 (a collection of earlier works)
- 1945 Preface for Souspente by Antoine Tudal
- 1946 Visages
- 1948 Le Chant des morts
- 1948 Le Livre de mon bord, notes 1930-1936
- 1949 Tombeau vivant, Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori
- 1949 Main d'œuvre, poems 1913-1949 (a collection of earlier and new works)
- 1950 Une aventure méthodique
- 1953 Cercle doré
- 1955 Au soleil du plafond
- 1956 En vrac
- 1959 La Liberté des mers
- 1962 À René Char
- 1966 Sable mouvant
English Translations
Many of Reverdy's works have been translated into English over the years. Some of the translators include Kenneth Rexroth, John Ashbery, Mary Ann Caws, Patricia Ann Terry, and Ron Padgett.
- Pierre Reverdy: Selected Poems - translated by Kenneth Rexroth (1969)
- Roof Slates and Other Poems of Pierre Reverdy - translated by Caws & Terry (1981)
- Selected Poems by Pierre Reverdy - edited by Timothy Bent and Germaine Brée (1991)
- Prose Poems - translated by Ron Padgett (2007)
- Haunted House (a long prose poem) - translated by John Ashbery (2007)
- Pierre Reverdy - edited by Mary Ann Caws (2013)
- The Song of the Dead - translated by Dan Bellm (2016)
- The Thief of Talant - translated by Ian Seed (2016)
See also
In Spanish: Pierre Reverdy para niños
- Still Life with a Poem, a 1915 painting by Juan Gris that includes a poem by Reverdy.
Images for kids
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St. Peter's Abbey, Solesmes, where Reverdy lived for many years.
