Breathings: the poems of Philippe Jaccottet

by Philippe Jaccottet

Book by Jaccottet, Philippe

Genres: Poetry

131 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1974

About the author

Philippe Jaccottet was a Swiss Francophone poet and translator.

Reviews

[Steven Godin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where this beautiful body descends into the unknown earth,
combatant clad in leather or naked dead belovéd,
I shall paint only a tree that retains in its foliage
the gilded murmur of a passing light. . . .

No one can separate fire from ash, laughter from dust,
no one would have recognized beauty without her dying bed,
peace reigns only over the boneyard and the rocks,
the poor man whatever he do is always between two guns.

[Edita · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the expanse
nothing more than shimmering mountains

Nothing more than ardent looks
intersecting

Blackbirds and doves
*

Weight of rocks, of thoughts

Dreams and mountains
haven't even balance

We dwell as yet in another world
Perhaps the interval

[Víctor Bermúdez · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perfect mildness is figured from afar at the limit between the mountains and air distance, long spark tearing apart, refining

[flowerville · Rating 4 out of 5]

notes:
sometimes i don't know what to read and then look at jaccottet's poem and there is almost always a line or two to find that capture my attention and make me think of something. and this 1974 edition is beautiful.