Possessed4 of great energy, curiosity, and disrespect, he was from the start thrown upon the side of those who flout5 authority, court disorder6 and embrace the glitter and profusion7 of an intensely mundane8 existence.
To regard the spectacle of modern life and to sense the cleavage with the past and with the art or humanities of the previous day, is to be "modern". For many the word is hateful; and yet Apollinaire set out deliberately9 to be modern: to revalue the contributions of the past in terms of the phenomenal changes which the twentieth century and the Great War had brought in.
The barbarous new age he courted, adopting much of its method, the character of its institutions and its cruel philosophy. Perhaps he has interpreted his age best in his own personality, that is to say his life, a large and daring conception in itself.
"Vain to be astonished at his continual feast-making," says his friend the painter, Rouveyre, "at the rash exploits he undertook, at the crown of thorns he inflicted10 upon himself... He was a prodigious11 creator and all of his literary and social games, were of the most brilliant and lavish12 character, far more so than their objects. Like God, who could make man out of nothing, Apollinaire made many, with the same poverty of material." (Souvenirs de mon Commerce—A. Rouveyre, Paris, 1919, Mercure de France.)
Apollinaire was born in Monte Carlo in 1880. It is still a delicate matter to approach the facts of his life, to some extent, because of his confusing boasts and pretensions13. We do know that his mother was Mme de Kostrovitzka, a lady of Polish descent who lived in France, and that Apollinaire (i. e., Wilhelm de Kostrovitzki) was baptized in Rome on September 29, 1880.
He received an extensive and preciose education. He lived with his mother in a chateau14 outside of Paris, a huge mansion15 that had a billiard room, music parlors16, salons17, and animals of all kinds: monkeys, dogs, snakes, parrots, canaries. Apollinaire travelled much when he was quite young, chiefly in Germany, Italy and Eastern Europe; he lived and studied in the Rhineland. Then he came back to Paris, with "all the poems he had been collecting in a cigar-box."
A literary career in Paris, is perfectly18 conventional by now. You run after the editors of newspapers, and finally you are allowed to contribute "feuilletons" to them. Then the magazines, the publishers, and you have "arrived." Apollinaire became a journalist and lived for a time by the veriest pot-boiling, some of which included translations of Aretino, an edition of the Marquis de Sade, introductions to pornographical classics, and even a great bibliographical19 work, called, "The Inferno20 of the National Library." But he soon became notorious in Paris. He gathered a motley horde21 of writers, painters and types (i. e., idiots, or freaks), and paraded from the right bank to the left, from the Montmartre to Montparnasse. His associates are now the most distinguished22 names of France, Henri-Matisse, Picasso, Dérain, Braque, Rousseau (the old man whom he "discovered" near the fortifications of Paris), and André Salmon23, Marie Laurencin, Max Jacob, Pierre Reverdy, "baron24" Mollet, his secretary.
He was intensely conscious of the time-spirit. An original and rugged25 intellect, he disquieted26 those who were repelled27 by his lavish and heedless manner. For him the French literature of the Symbolist era, which de Gourmont still presided over, was dead, and he became, during that whole period from 1905 to the end of the Great War, the only living force in France. He predicted the sterile28 close of the literature of de Regnier and Paul Fort, "Prince of Poets" (!), heralding29 an age of boundless30 expansion and experiment, with new zones of experience, new forms, and a yet more complex and rich civilization.
Such ideas were in the air of Europe: there was Marinetti, in Italy: Cézanne had nearly brought his stupendous work to a close; and a group of painters, Picasso, Duchamps, Picabia, Braque, Dérain (the Cubists), launched their work upon a frightened world. The abstract investigations31 of the Cubists appealed to him powerfully. Apollinaire became their ringleader. His book, "The Cubist Painters," is an authoritative32 apology for this movement. But not content with this, he conceived little movements of his own, invented names for them, wrote up programs, and precipitated33 bad painters into careers. It was not all buffoonery. He may have placed silly, vacuous34 individuals at the head of the reviews he organized, "Les Soirées de Paris", Nord Sud (named after the new subway); but some of the best modern writing of the time, by Max Jacob, Pierre Reverdy, André Salmon, Paul Valéry, Apollinaire himself, and some extremely youthful poets who are now Dadaists, were included in them. His great charm in conversation, his uproarious wit, his complete shamelessness, made him idol36 of all who were drawn37 to him.
Alcools, his first collection of poems, appeared in 1913. It was the escape of a personality from the "eternal recurrence38." The Symbolists had sought a kind of exalted39, objective state; this false mysticism was accompanied by an attitude of fatigue40, and preciose resignation. Even the language, in their hands had become crystallized, or static. Apollinaire's attitude was the complete reverse. A wonderfully happy man, his verse was lustier and sturdier. He had learned much from the reawakened interest in the "primitive41" Italian painters. There was no false shading in his work. Every line was as direct as in a child's drawing. No one could use clichés or write of the most common diurnal42 experiences as freshly as he. His verse had also a certain heroic character, an air of prophecy.
It has always been the good fortune of France that Paris draws gifted strangers from other lands, who bring real gold to her. Apollinaire, a weird43 mixture of what Slavic and Latin strains, laid rough hands on the language. His aberrations44 are superb. He could never resist the foreigner's impulse toward jeux des mots; and none are quicker than the French themselves to accept and enjoy the new puns and double-entendres. For the French have gone farther, their language has been more pawed over and revivified through foreign usage than ours. Apollinaire's exoticisms were not bizarre; they had the air of being conceived in conversation.
In the summer of 1914, Apollinaire was in Deauville, surrounded by a cosmopolitan45 horde of Poles, Germans, Hungarians, Czechs and Russians when the Great War began. He embraced the superb irony46 of these events with the utmost ardour; his attitude was precisely47 that which Pascal epitomizes:
"Why do you wish to kill brother?"
"Do I not live on the other side of the river?"
He went into the artillery48, and was stationed at N?mes. He became Second Lieutenant49 Guillaume Apollinaire. There were dull months upon months in the barracks. There was also active fighting. He was three times wounded in the head, and trepanned. In the Fall of 1915, he lay in a hospital in Paris, recovering from a successful operation. It was at this time that he assembled the fragments of a novel over which he had been working for a period of years, The Poet Assassinated50.
The poet, Croniamantal, is one of the few frankly51 epic52 figures of modern literature. Apollinaire had never really outlived the poet's age of twenty-five, and the preposterous53 life of his hero is drawn against the artistic54 and social foibles of his age. By no means mere55 satire56 in the 18th century sense. Apollinaire grows positively57 hilarious58 and intoxicated59 over his characters so that at times he is beside himself with sheer fun. Results: humor of extraordinary eloquence60 and sonority61, and a form that is complete unrepresentative, with perpetual digressions and asides.
There have been so many tired men in France who wrote like flagellants. Flaubert made his waking hours a nightmare; Gautier was much too corseted; to Stendhal writing was a torturesome but resistless destiny; Villiers was a devout62 artisan; Mallarmé goaded63 himself into obscuracy and speechlessness.
We must go back to Stendhal to find such extreme opposition64 to naturalism. It is enemy of all that was Ibsen. Distortion or under-emphasis are employed to fantastic ends; when a puppet is uninteresting or wrung65 dry he is dismissed or killed. Here is the destructive side of it: Apollinaire runs all the risks, obeys no rules, and writes for fun.
In the following year he was dismissed from the army and pronounced unfit for anything but censorship service.
Discharged from the hospital, he bought himself the most immaculate officer's uniform, somewhat constricting66 for his already corpulent form and his double chin, and in a victoria rode up to the editorial offices of the Mercure de France. His manner was perfectly that of "a Marseillaise tenor67 in an opera comique." His friends were in an uproar35 over him. The art life of Paris, flared68 up again, under the guns. He broke loose again upon his maddest tours de forces. A great welcoming ball was given him, an orgy attended by a howling, cursing, fighting throng69, in which men and women tore about like Chaplin in the films. There had never been such an outlandish and heterogeneous70 bazaar71. Apollinaire was ravished at being the orchestra-leader of such disorders72 and follies73. To stupefy them he gave a production of his preposterous play, Les Mammelles de Tiresias. From the point of view of "action," of living, these were his greatest moments. Even before the war, these carryings on had passed all boundaries and were a source of scandal all over the world. Apollinaire was the man of the day, for this desperate crowd. He made poets and painters. "He made men and women seem much madder than they really were." While they understood little his interior laughter, his rebellious74 imagination.
I have stressed Apollinaire's social adventures, regarding them as an aspect of his creative expression. Wholly absorbed in art, he was completely wanting in the false reverence75 and dignity which some affect. Believing in the new painting of Picasso, Braque, Dérain, he could as well hold a street demonstration76, parading his friends as sandwich-men bearing cubist paintings.
In the last days of 1918 he was stricken with influenza77 and was taken off very quickly. All the fools and freaks stopped pirouetting.
Calligrammes, his book of war poems had just appeared, and it is agreed that his strongest and most singular expressions lie in these reactions to the war. All other artists were involuntarily baffled by their moral sentiments. Only Apollinaire, with his completely negative philosophy, his un-morality, his shame in all of the common virtues78, could retort to this war with his gorgeous buffoonery and his ringing apostrophes. He seized the new meanings of the modern era, from the phallic zeppelins in the sky, the labels on his tobacco tins, the pages of newspapers, or the walls of old cities. If these things are unworthy, if the age is damnable, then Apollinaire is damned.
"Is there nothing new under the sun?" he asks. "Nothing—for the sun, perhaps. But for man, everything." He calls upon artists to be at least as forward as the mechanical genius of the time. The artist is to stop at nothing in his quest for novelty of form and material; to seize upon all the infinite possibilities afforded by the new instruments and opportunities, creating thereby79 the myths and fables80 of the future.
MATTHEW JOSEPHSON
点击收听单词发音
1 outrageous | |
adj.无理的,令人不能容忍的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
2 deserted | |
adj.荒芜的,荒废的,无人的,被遗弃的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
3 caravans | |
(可供居住的)拖车(通常由机动车拖行)( caravan的名词复数 ); 篷车; (穿过沙漠地带的)旅行队(如商队) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
4 possessed | |
adj.疯狂的;拥有的,占有的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
5 flout | |
v./n.嘲弄,愚弄,轻视 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
6 disorder | |
n.紊乱,混乱;骚动,骚乱;疾病,失调 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
7 profusion | |
n.挥霍;丰富 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
8 mundane | |
adj.平凡的;尘世的;宇宙的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
9 deliberately | |
adv.审慎地;蓄意地;故意地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
10 inflicted | |
把…强加给,使承受,遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
11 prodigious | |
adj.惊人的,奇妙的;异常的;巨大的;庞大的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
12 lavish | |
adj.无节制的;浪费的;vt.慷慨地给予,挥霍 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
13 pretensions | |
自称( pretension的名词复数 ); 自命不凡; 要求; 权力 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
14 chateau | |
n.城堡,别墅 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
15 mansion | |
n.大厦,大楼;宅第 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
16 parlors | |
客厅( parlor的名词复数 ); 起居室; (旅馆中的)休息室; (通常用来构成合成词)店 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
17 salons | |
n.(营业性质的)店( salon的名词复数 );厅;沙龙(旧时在上流社会女主人家的例行聚会或聚会场所);(大宅中的)客厅 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
18 perfectly | |
adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
19 bibliographical | |
书籍解题的,著书目录的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
20 inferno | |
n.火海;地狱般的场所 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
21 horde | |
n.群众,一大群 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
22 distinguished | |
adj.卓越的,杰出的,著名的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
23 salmon | |
n.鲑,大马哈鱼,橙红色的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
24 baron | |
n.男爵;(商业界等)巨头,大王 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
25 rugged | |
adj.高低不平的,粗糙的,粗壮的,强健的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
26 disquieted | |
v.使不安,使忧虑,使烦恼( disquiet的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
27 repelled | |
v.击退( repel的过去式和过去分词 );使厌恶;排斥;推开 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
28 sterile | |
adj.不毛的,不孕的,无菌的,枯燥的,贫瘠的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
29 heralding | |
v.预示( herald的现在分词 );宣布(好或重要) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
30 boundless | |
adj.无限的;无边无际的;巨大的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
31 investigations | |
(正式的)调查( investigation的名词复数 ); 侦查; 科学研究; 学术研究 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
32 authoritative | |
adj.有权威的,可相信的;命令式的;官方的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
33 precipitated | |
v.(突如其来地)使发生( precipitate的过去式和过去分词 );促成;猛然摔下;使沉淀 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
34 vacuous | |
adj.空的,漫散的,无聊的,愚蠢的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
35 uproar | |
n.骚动,喧嚣,鼎沸 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
36 idol | |
n.偶像,红人,宠儿 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
37 drawn | |
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
38 recurrence | |
n.复发,反复,重现 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
39 exalted | |
adj.(地位等)高的,崇高的;尊贵的,高尚的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
40 fatigue | |
n.疲劳,劳累 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
41 primitive | |
adj.原始的;简单的;n.原(始)人,原始事物 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
42 diurnal | |
adj.白天的,每日的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
43 weird | |
adj.古怪的,离奇的;怪诞的,神秘而可怕的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
44 aberrations | |
n.偏差( aberration的名词复数 );差错;脱离常规;心理失常 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
45 cosmopolitan | |
adj.世界性的,全世界的,四海为家的,全球的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
46 irony | |
n.反语,冷嘲;具有讽刺意味的事,嘲弄 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
47 precisely | |
adv.恰好,正好,精确地,细致地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
48 artillery | |
n.(军)火炮,大炮;炮兵(部队) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
49 lieutenant | |
n.陆军中尉,海军上尉;代理官员,副职官员 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
50 assassinated | |
v.暗杀( assassinate的过去式和过去分词 );中伤;诋毁;破坏 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
51 frankly | |
adv.坦白地,直率地;坦率地说 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
52 epic | |
n.史诗,叙事诗;adj.史诗般的,壮丽的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
53 preposterous | |
adj.荒谬的,可笑的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
54 artistic | |
adj.艺术(家)的,美术(家)的;善于艺术创作的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
55 mere | |
adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
56 satire | |
n.讽刺,讽刺文学,讽刺作品 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
57 positively | |
adv.明确地,断然,坚决地;实在,确实 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
58 hilarious | |
adj.充满笑声的,欢闹的;[反]depressed | |
参考例句: |
|
|
59 intoxicated | |
喝醉的,极其兴奋的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
60 eloquence | |
n.雄辩;口才,修辞 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
61 sonority | |
n.响亮,宏亮 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
62 devout | |
adj.虔诚的,虔敬的,衷心的 (n.devoutness) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
63 goaded | |
v.刺激( goad的过去式和过去分词 );激励;(用尖棒)驱赶;驱使(或怂恿、刺激)某人 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
64 opposition | |
n.反对,敌对 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
65 wrung | |
绞( wring的过去式和过去分词 ); 握紧(尤指别人的手); 把(湿衣服)拧干; 绞掉(水) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
66 constricting | |
压缩,压紧,使收缩( constrict的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
67 tenor | |
n.男高音(歌手),次中音(乐器),要旨,大意 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
68 Flared | |
adj. 端部张开的, 爆发的, 加宽的, 漏斗式的 动词flare的过去式和过去分词 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
69 throng | |
n.人群,群众;v.拥挤,群集 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
70 heterogeneous | |
adj.庞杂的;异类的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
71 bazaar | |
n.集市,商店集中区 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
72 disorders | |
n.混乱( disorder的名词复数 );凌乱;骚乱;(身心、机能)失调 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
73 follies | |
罪恶,时事讽刺剧; 愚蠢,蠢笨,愚蠢的行为、思想或做法( folly的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
74 rebellious | |
adj.造反的,反抗的,难控制的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
75 reverence | |
n.敬畏,尊敬,尊严;Reverence:对某些基督教神职人员的尊称;v.尊敬,敬畏,崇敬 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
76 demonstration | |
n.表明,示范,论证,示威 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
77 influenza | |
n.流行性感冒,流感 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
78 virtues | |
美德( virtue的名词复数 ); 德行; 优点; 长处 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
79 thereby | |
adv.因此,从而 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
80 fables | |
n.寓言( fable的名词复数 );神话,传说 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
欢迎访问英文小说网 |