{"product_id":"la-clarte-notre-dame-and-the-last-book-of-the-madrigals-hardcover","title":"La Clarté Notre-Dame and the Last Book of the Madrigals - Hardcover","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003ePhilippe Jaccottet\u003c\/b\u003e (Author), \u003cb\u003eJohn Taylor\u003c\/b\u003e (Translator), \u003cb\u003eJosé-Flore Tappy\u003c\/b\u003e (Afterword by)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe last works of the last great classic European poet now available in English.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e In his 96th and final year, and with the help of the poet José-Flore Tappy, celebrated Swiss poet Philippe Jaccottet finished two manuscripts-in-progress, one in prose and one in poetry, both of which are presented in this volume in John Taylor's sensitive translation. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e The first work, \"La Clarté Notre-Dame,\" takes off from the \"pure, weightless, fragile, yet crystal-clear tinkling\" of a monastery bell heard during a walk with friends. With this thought-provoking sound as a leitmotiv, Jaccottet looks back on a life of writing, reading, and scrutinizing humankind's existential and spiritual aspirations. He sets these concerns against his equally lifelong preoccupation with \"the rise of evil in today's world,\" notably in Syria. Composed in a baroque style, the verse poems collected in \"The Last Book of Madrigals\" explore love. Jaccottet returns in spirit to Italy, the country which for him symbolizes happiness and sensuality. As he evokes amorous attraction, he conjures up Monteverdi's madrigals, one of Dante's little-known rhymes, and Giuseppe Ungaretti's last poem. Reinventing and commenting on these works, Jaccottet meditates on old age, approaching death, despair, and the persistence of love. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Together, both works grapple with devastating darkness, but as Tappy observes in her afterword, however, Jaccottet's \"greatest force\" was \"his perpetually renewed desire, during the most terrifying night, to head for the light.\" \u003cbr\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eBorn in Switzerland and a long-time resident of France, \u003cb\u003ePhilippe Jaccottet \u003c\/b\u003e(1925-2021) is a celebrated European poet. In 2014, Jaccottet's collected writings were published in Gallimard's prestigious Pléiade series. He has been awarded several European literary prizes, including the Grand Prix Suisse de littérature, the highest Swiss literary distinction. \u003cb\u003eJohn Taylor\u003c\/b\u003e has translated several French writers and poets into English. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 104\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e December 06, 2022\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47392274251954,"sku":"9781803090610","price":19.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0770\/3891\/1666\/files\/9c8d2814b18ed90f7b38f3e1d4cbd70c.webp?v=1777959568","url":"https:\/\/box.dadyminds.org\/products\/la-clarte-notre-dame-and-the-last-book-of-the-madrigals-hardcover","provider":"DADYMINDS BOX","version":"1.0","type":"link"}