Search

This article analyzes the literary works of Jacques Prévert, particularly the poetic collection entitled Grand bal du printemps. Much of Prévert's artistic and literary production is widely known by academicians as well as by his favorite subject--the everyday person. There remains some work by Prévert, however, that has disappeared from the cultural radar. Why a given work becomes invisible to the literary and artistic consumer is difficult to ascertain and is specific to the unnoticed work itself. Grand bal du printemps, a poetic collection written by Prévert in the 1950s, presents one example of a comparatively unknown work by a relatively famous author. Whereas there are numerous books, special journal volumes, book chapters, journal articles, biographies, papers at conferences, and conference panels dedicated to the study of Jacques Prévert's life and work, Grand bal du printemps is rarely mentioned. Having made his debut in the poetry world with his well-received Paroles in 1946, Jacques Prévert quickly established himself as the poet laureate of the streets of Paris. Using the everyday language he found around him, he celebrated the daily life and the streets of Paris in the poems that make up Paroles. In this collection, he raised common, everyday objects from the streets to a poetic level, all the while depoeticizing his poetry in order to accomplish his task. His style is comprised of spoken discourse and simple and direct images. As a result, his poetry has appealed to and been read by people from all lifestyles.