Abstract: Sous la direction de Jean-Marie Gleize. Lyon, ENS Éditions, 2004. 210 pp. Pb €33.00. This scholarly and energetic volume of essays is a rich contribution to the ongoing study of Francis Ponge. It presents in their entirety the proceedings of a 1999 international colloquium which set out to engage afresh with Ponge — and with the history of Ponge studies — upon the centenary of the poet's birth. Its purposeful title expresses the ethical and aesthetic resolve inherent in the idiosyncratic project of this materialist poet as well as the long commitment to Ponge of many of the eighteen contributors, several of whom have been instrumental in shifts of exegetic focus on his work over the years. Gleize's opening address is a concise mise au point which situates Ponge among the broad poetic currents of his century and suggests that his legacy may be traced in emergent tendencies among new poets such as Nathalie Quintane or Christophe Hanna. The volume is then divided into three parts. The first, ‘Rhétorique et nouvelles figures,’ begins with Jean-Michel Adam's reconsideration of Ponge's reliance on the devices of classical rhetoric as a starting point for formulating his own. Subsequent studies discuss Ponge's persistent play with the poetry–prose divide (Élisabeth Cardonne-Arlyck), the genesis of Ponge's Pratiques d'écriture (Jacinthe Martel), the implied reader of Ponge's radio broadcast/text Le Savon (André Bellatore), and light and shade as operative figures in Ponge's poetic universe (Henri Scepi). The section ends with an exciting foray into performativity, theatricality and the dramatic qualities of the Pongean text (Philippe Met). The second part, ‘Intertextualités’, provides a stimulating — and sometimes surprising — series of sideways glances to other creative figures. First, Gleize's ‘Écrire contre’ reminds us that Ponge's progressively delineated manifesto is a composite not only of stated affinities and desires — Ponge writes ‘for’ (in favour of/towards an appropriate version of) Malherbe or Braque — but also of antipathies and boisterous negations. Subsequent essays nevertheless focus on commonality, covering Ponge's references to Horace (Bernard Veck), his similarities to Zukofsky (Serge Gavronsky) and to Denis Roche (Stéphane Baquey), his fervent engagement with Fautrier (Lionel Cuillé) and finally the connections traceable between Ponge and the early Godard (Sam di Iorio). The third part incorporates ‘Poésie et connaissance’ and a final shorter section, ‘Consonances’. It opens with an examination of the act of looking in Ponge in which Jean-Luc Steinmetz elaborates on ‘considération’ (as opposed to ‘contemplation’) in the poet's work. Didier Alexandre explores the poet's references to science and the scientific. Further essays discuss Ponge and Darwinism (Lionel Cuillé) and the value of applying the scientific metaphor of the ‘test’ to Ponge's textual experiments (Christophe Hanna). In ‘Consonances’, Gérard Farasse's tribute engages with memory in (and of) Ponge, including the indelible legacy of his proverbial formulations. Philippe Bonnefis provides the last note with — appropriately — a self-reflexive essay on poetic closure and theatrical exit cues in Ponge. Overall, this collection incorporates numerous original readings and suggestive insights which invite new navigations of Ponge's work. It is a highly rewarding and enjoyable read.
Publication Year: 2005
Publication Date: 2005-10-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 1
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