Synopses & Reviews
In
The Pilgrimand#8217;s Bowl, Swiss poet Philippe Jaccottet meditates on the work of Italian artist Giorgio Morandi and its power to evoke a complexity of emotions and astonishment. Jaccottet examines Morandiand#8217;s ascetic still lifes, contrasting his artistic approach to the life philosophies of two authors whom he cherished, Pascal and Leopardi, and reflecting on the few known autobiographical details we know about Morandi. In this small and erudite tome, Jaccottet draws us into the very heart of the artistand#8217;s calm and strangely haunting oeuvre.
In his literary criticism, Jaccottet is known for deeply engaging with the work of his fellow poets and tenaciously seeking the essence of their poetics. In this, his only book-length essay devoted to an artist, his critical prose likewise blends empathy, subtle discernment, and a determination to pinpoint, or at least glimpse, the elusive underlying qualities of Morandi's deceptively simple, dull-toned yet mysteriously luminous paintings. The Pilgrimand#8217;s Bowl is a remarkably elucidating study based on a profound admiration for and a dialogue with Morandiand#8217;s oeuvre.
Synopsis
Poetry. Literary Nonfiction. Bilingual Edition. Translated from the French, edited and introduced by John Taylor. Philippe Jaccottet (b. 1925) is one of Europe's most distinguished poets. His precise observations locate reality and discover transcendence in the subtle particulars and correspondences of nature. "Hunter, do not aim: this bird is not wild game. / Look, do not aim: gather only the flash of feathers among the reeds and willows. / Uniting sun and sleep in its feathers."—from the poem "As Kingfishers Catch Fire." This first collection of poems and prose poems in English draws from the most recent work.
About the Author
Born in Switzerland and a longtime resident of France, Philippe Jaccottet (b. 1925) has long been considered one of Europes premiere poets. The present selection draws from his four most recent volumes of poems and prose poems: Cahier de verdure (Notebook of Greenery, 1990), Après beaucoup d'années (After Many Years, 1994), Et, néanmoins (And, Nonetheless, 2001) and Ce peu de bruits (These Slight Noises, 2008). He has translated numerous German, Italian and Spanish poets into French. He is also the author of several volumes of literary criticism, and has written Le bol du pèlerin (The Pilgrim's Bowl, 2001), a study of the art of Giorgio Morandi. His collected writings are soon to be published as a volume in Gallimard's "Pléiade" series, a rare honor for a living author. He has been awarded several European literary prizes, including the Petrarch Prize and the Schiller Prize, Switzerland's highest literary distinction.
Table of Contents
The Pilgrimandrsquo;s Bowl Note