Jacques Prévert

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jacques Prévert

Born 4 February 1900(1900-02-04)
Paris, France1
Died 11 April 1977 (aged 77)
Omonville-la-Petite, France
Occupation Poet, Screenwriter
Genres Poetry
Literary movement Surrealism, Symbolism

Jacques Prévert (pronounced [ʒak pʀeˈvɛʀ] in French) was a French poet and screenwriter who was born on February 4, 1900 in Neuilly-sur-Seine and died on April 11, 1977 in Omonville-la-Petite.

Contents

[edit] Early life

Prévert grew up in Paris where he was bored by school. He often went to theater with his father, a drama critic, and acquired a love of reading from his mother. After receiving his Certificat d'études attesting to his having completed his primary education, he quit school and went to work in Le Bon Marché department store in Paris. Then, he was called up for military service in 1918 and after the war was sent to the Near East.

[edit] Poetry

Prévert participated actively in the surrealist movement and was a member of the rue du Château group along with Raymond Queneau and Marcel Duchamp, although Prévert was really too much of a free spirit to be a member of any group.

French literature
By category
French literary history

Medieval
16th century · 17th century
18th century · 19th century
20th century · Contemporary
French writers

Chronological list
Writers by category
Novelists · Playwrights
Poets · Essayists
Short story writers
France portal
Literature portal
This box: view • talk • edit

Prévert's poems were published in his books Paroles (Words) (1946), Histoires (Stories) (1963), Spectacle (1951), La Pluie et le beau temps (Rain and Good Weather) (1955), Fatras (1971) and Choses et autres (Things and Others) (1973).

His poems are often about life in Paris and life after the Second World War. They are widely taught in schools in France and frequently appear in French language textbooks throughout the world.

Some of Prévert's poems such as Les Feuilles mortes (Autumn Leaves) were set to music by Joseph Kosma, Germaine Tailleferre of Les Six, Christiane Verger and Hanns Eisler, and were also sung by prominent 20th century French vocalists including Yves Montand and Édith Piaf as well as by the American singer Joan Baez.

[edit] Film

Prévert wrote a number of classic screenplays for the film director Marcel Carné. Among the films were Drôle de drame (Bizarre, Bizarre, 1937), Quai des brumes (Port of Shadows, 1938), Le jour se lève (Daybreak, 1939), Les Visiteurs du soir (The Night Visitors, 1942) and Les enfants du paradis (The Children of Paradise, 1945), often considered one of the greatest films of all time. His poems were also the basis for the movie La Seine a rencontré Paris (The Seine Meets Paris, 1957) by the film director and documentarist Joris Ivens, being read as narration during the film by singer Serge Reggiani.

[edit] Bibliography

  • Paroles (1946)
  • Contes pour enfants pas sages (Tales for unwise children) (1947)
  • Le Petit Lion, with photographs of a baby lion by Ylla (1947, reprinted 1984)
  • Les Bêtes, with photographs of animals by Ylla (1950, reprinted 1984)
  • Spectacle (1951)
  • Grand bal du printemps, with photographs by Izis Bidermanas (1951)
  • Lettre des îles Baladar (Letter from the Baladar Islands) (1952)
  • Tour de chant (1953)
  • La pluie et le beau temps (The rain and the sunny day) (1955)
  • Histoires (1963) (stories)
  • Le Cirque d'Izis, with photographs by Izis Bidermanas and original artwork by Marc Chagall (André Sauret, 1965)
  • Fatras (1966)
  • Charmes de Londres, with photographs by Izis Bidermanas (Editions de Monza, 1999)

[edit] Filmography

Prévert wrote the scenarios and sometimes the dialog in the following films:

[edit] External links

Persondata
NAME Prévert, Jacques
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Prevert, Jacques
SHORT DESCRIPTION poet
DATE OF BIRTH February 4, 1900
PLACE OF BIRTH Neuilly-sur-Seine, France
DATE OF DEATH April 11, 1977
PLACE OF DEATH Omonville-la-Petite, France