Mute Objects of Expression

by Francis Ponge, Lee Fahnestock

In Mute Objects of Expression , Francis Ponge proclaims his to accept the challenge that things—-objects—offer to language. These objects and scenes are perceived with unique Pongean art and humor in this volume centering on the unoccupied southern Loire countryside, where his family lived from 1940 to 1943. Because of wartime shortages, much of the book was drafted in a small notebook that made up his sole supply of paper. The poems recall the voices of Marianne Moore and William Carlos Williams and evoke the violent perfume of the mimosa, the cries of carnations, and the flirtations of wasps. He is moved to explore a shadowy town square glimpsed from a bus window. But “to conquer this landscape of Provence? That would be too much!” claimed Ponge. Mute Objects of Expression is one of Ponge’s most important and beloved volumes.

Genres: Poetry, France, Literature

165 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1952

About the author

Francis Jean Gaston Alfred Ponge was a French essayist and poet. Influenced by surrealism, he developed a form of prose poem, minutely examining everyday objects.

Reviews

[ninon · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
il est un peu comme moi il veut tout nommer tout decrire mais personne ne semble le comprendre .. sache que je te comprends moi francis

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best poetry books that enrich the poetic language with innovative themes. The inner sound of objects in nature stimulated Ponge to give it life.
I felt the breath of objects in this book.

[elle est au nord · Rating 5 out of 5]

j'adore Ponge et sa quête inaboutie et inaboutissable de trouver les mots, les formulations les plus adéquates et précises pour décrire. je trouve ça beau, essouflant parfois mais surtout fascinant.

[Keenan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I went into this thinking it would probably be a bit of a dumpster fire so it's nice to see my prejudices confirmed.

The works of Francis Ponge stirred my curiosity recently so I thought I'd give this a go. While he is certainly able to write well, this book shows not just his prose poems but his whole creative process in reaching them, including several entries lifted straight from the dictionary and several early drafts of each final version of prose. This would be great if the final output of all these sketches and drafts was extraordinary, but considering how middling many of them are, seeing the "man in action" is more excruciating than pleasant. Pompous and overblown nonsense.

[enillopa · Rating 5 out of 5]

J’AI ADORÉ!!!! Déjà que j’avais beaucoup apprécié le Parti pris des choses mais là Français Ponge nous explicite ses intentions et sa démarche et je trouve que cela change tout. Je ne suis pas particulièrement sensible à ses poèmes en temps que tels mais je trouve ses recherches sur les objets absolument formidables et il explore le lien que nous avons eux. Je suis totalement séduite pour sa quête et son travail.

[CX Dillhunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best poetry book I've read in years! Phenomenal attention to technique. Prose & lyrical poetry meld!

[Manel · Rating 3 out of 5]

T’as fumé quoi Francis? Non sérieux je vois ce que tu veux dire mais là le bac va me foudroyer

[Ttoile · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Certes, nous n'avions pas besoin de cela (de voir si évidemment le ciel fermé) pour juger que Dieu est une invention ignoble, une insinuation détestable, une proposition malhonnête, une tentative hélas trop réussie d'effondrement des consciences humaines - et que les homme qui nous y inclinent sont des traîtres ou des imposteurs."

[camillon · Rating 4 out of 5]

en vrai trop fun

[Eline Masson · Rating 4 out of 5]

on a piqué a la guêpe de et j'avoue avoir moins aimé la suite mais c'était quand même bien
4 ⭐

[Ines · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Cassie · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5

[Aurélia Riquet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Agréable surprise, un peu comme un manuel de poésie. Je devrais prendre exemple, prendre mon temps et réfléchir en écrivant

[Pauline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Une nouvelle approche de la poésie.

[Antonomase · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read it for the high-schoolers, and gods I have no idea how I'm going to make them read it, or worse, work and analyze it.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ponge delivers a collection that is both a philosophical inquiry and a celebration of the mundane. Originally published in various forms throughout Ponge's life, this edition by Archipelago brings together some of his most celebrated pieces, offering English readers a chance to engage with his unique poetic vision.

Ponge's approach to poetry is one of meticulous observation, where he infuses objects like soap, pebbles, or an orange with profound significance. His prose poems dissect and reconstruct the essence of these items, revealing their beauty, utility, and the human stories they silently tell. Each piece is a meditation, an ode to the overlooked, where the act of looking closely becomes an act of reverence and understanding.

Fahnestock's translation does justice to Ponge's intricate wordplay and his playful yet serious engagement with language. The text maintains the rhythm and the philosophical depth of the original French, capturing Ponge's love for the texture of words, their sounds, and their visual qualities on the page.

The collection is not just about the objects themselves but about language as a tool for discovery and expression. Ponge challenges the reader to see beyond the surface, to appreciate the poetry in the prosaic, and to ponder the relationship between human perception and the physical world. His style is both scientific and lyrical, blending empirical observation with poetic insight.

Mute Objects of Expression is poetry that stretches the boundaries of form and content, finding beauty in the details, and explores the interplay between language, thought, and the material world.

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

An attempt to assassinate poetry for the sake of the object. Which matters most ... object or subject? Thing or word? It or us? M. Ponge goes round and round ... but still manages to generate some pretty strong notions about the "nature" of wasps, birds, and pine forests. It's the method that matters, I guess.

[Walter · Rating 4 out of 5]

An odd, in a good way, book of poems, phrases.

[Margault Dubois · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF 0/5 c’était nul

[nini! ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nunca había leído tan apasionadamente un libro de poesía. Te amo Ponge, a ti y a tu extraña manera de escribir.

[old acc · Rating 3 out of 5]

Marking as dnf because I skimmed it, skipping over a lot. (I seem to do this with poetry often.) Maybe it's the translation, but other poems didn't pull me in like Snails did.