Valery's dialogues are his most important works of imagination in prose. Many consider the prose masterpieces Eupalinos and Dance and the Soul as the fullest and most characteristic expression of his genius. The dialogue form, "the most supple of the forms of expression, " was natural to Valery. "I found I was talking to myself in two voices, and began to write accordingly, " he said. His imagination and his philosophical mind found in his major dialogues the common ground they were always seeking. In the present volume, all the formal imaginary dialogues are brought together for the first time.
Paul Valéry Books
October 30, 1871 – July 20, 1945
Paul Valéry was a French poet, essayist, and philosopher whose broad interests positioned him as a polymath. While best known as a poet and sometimes considered the last of the French Symbolists, his output is sparse yet immensely influential. Following a profound existential crisis that shaped his career, he emerged after two decades of silence in 1917 with a monumental work that secured his fame and is regarded as a pinnacle of 20th-century French poetry.
The Idea of Perfection
- 400 pages
- 14 hours of reading
The Art of Poetry
- 372 pages
- 14 hours of reading
The collection features comprehensive reflections on poetry from a highly regarded contemporary poet known for his meticulous examination of the craft. It encompasses significant meditations on both the theory and practice of poetry, offering valuable insights into the poet's artistic process and philosophy. This work serves as a profound resource for anyone interested in understanding the nuances of poetic expression.
Collected Verse
- 384 pages
- 14 hours of reading
This edition of new translations brings together the most extensive collection of Paul Valéry's verse, from the adolescent years marked by mysticism, Mallarmé, and the Symbolist movement, to the three great works of maturity (The Young Fate, Album of Early Verse, and Charms) and later verse.
Dance And The Soul
- 70 pages
- 3 hours of reading
Through a mock Platonic dialogue, Paul Valéry explores the intricate relationships between body and mind, movement and thought, and dance and philosophy. Set in a framework featuring Socrates, Phaedrus, and Eryximachus, the work delves into the philosophical implications of dance as the characters observe and reflect on the dancers. This new translation brings to light Valéry's profound inquiries into dualism and the nature of artistic expression.
Monsieur Teste
- 104 pages
- 4 hours of reading
The novel explores the concept of a mind that is detached from emotional sensibility through the character of Monsieur Teste, who embodies both the author's philosophical inquiries and the traits of an ordinary fictional character. Additionally, the volume features "Snapshots of Monsieur Teste," which includes excerpts from Valâery's personal notebooks, providing deeper insight into his thoughts and creative process.
In den drei berühmten Essays zu Leonardo da Vinci, die sowohl den Beginn als auch einen Höhepunkt von Valérys Schaffen markieren (1894, 1919 und 1929), erlebt der Leser die Anverwandlung dieses universalen Geistes und unübertroffenen Genies der Renaissance wie der Moderne; Leonardo, der symbolische und konstruktiv-methodische Geist, wird zum Modell der Überschreitung und wechselseitigen Durchdringung von Kunst und Wissenschaft, zum interdisziplinären Geist par excellence , der wie Valéry jeden kunsttheoretischen Irrationalismus (»Inspiration«, »Genie« etc.) verabscheut.
Die Cahiers von Paul Valéry sind ein Beispiel für lebensphilosophische Selbsttherapie und dokumentieren seine Reflexionen über Bewusstseinsprozesse. In 263 Schulheften, die er über 50 Jahre füllte, untersucht Valéry Themen wie Ego, Sprache und Gedächtnis und beantwortet die Frage: „Was kann ein Mensch?“
Poésie perdue. Les poèmes en prose des Cahiers
- 300 pages
- 11 hours of reading
Lorsqu'en 1894 Valéry ouvre les Cahiers qu'il ne cessera de tenir jusqu'à sa mort, son ambition n'est pas d'en faire un lieu de poésie, mais l'espace au contraire d'une réflexion abstraite qui se développera inlassablement, chaque jour, sur près de trente mille pages. L'un des étonnements du lecteur est bien alors de découvrir très tôt, parmi les analyses abstraites, des poèmes en prose que rien ne préméditait et qui constituent le second versant méconnu de l'oeuvre poétique. Un partage capital s'opère en effet : le travail du vers s'accomplit hors des Cahiers et il est ouvertement destiné au lecteur ; le poème en prose, au contraire, reste tourné vers son auteur et dans un espace d'écriture privée.Il fallut attendre l'approche de la Seconde Guerre mondiale pour que Tel Quel, Mélange et Mauvaises Pensées, recueils comme on sait composites, fassent une place - mineure - à certains de ces textes. Et dans Tel Quel, le titre de "Poésie perdue" sous lequel il les réunit semble porter négligemment au jour des feuillets égarés, ou arrachés à un lointain passé, mais qui valent cependant d'être lus, malgré tout. Titre admirable, cependant, et qu'il a semblé légitime de reprendre en tête de cette édition qui rassemble pour la première fois la totalité des poèmes en prose des Cahiers - longtemps perdus précisément dans leurs pages innombrables, mais ici retrouvés.
