Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Claude Royet-Journoud

TO DISCRIMINATE

The whole of poetry is preposition.

It’s only with your foot on the core of the tightrope
that the narrative unfolds. Before that, there are only
fragments of sense and you see nothing of what ties
the plot together.

Voice is no help in constructing a framework. It
dissolves the whole, makes it fragile, and retains only
appearance.

Accidents are essential. They are what give form and
readability.

“They speak to the ear, I wish to speak to the memory.”
(Joseph Joubert.)

Too much sense reduces the line to ashes.

In the hollows of language. Never in its fullness.

(“Je” is all the more present in Les natures indivisibles as
in La notion d'obstacle this pronoun is totally absent.)

Importance of the back.

A book is not a property. Whose property is a body?

“My science can only be a science point by point.
I have neither time nor means to trace a continuous
line.” (Marcel Jousse.)

The body is not a subject; that’s why . . .

DISCRIMINER

DISCRIMINER

La poésie entière est préposition.

Ce n’est que lorsqu’on met le pied sur l’âme de la corde que
le récit se déploie. Avant cela, il n’y a que des fragments de
sens et l’on ne voit rien de ce qui noue l’intrigue.

La voix n’aide pas à reconstituer une charpente. Elle dissout
l’ensemble, la fragilise et ne retient que l’apparence.

Les accidents sont essentiels. Ils sont ce qui donne la forme
et sa lisibilité.

« Ils parlent à l’oreille, je veux parler à la mémoire. »
(Joseph Joubert.)

Un excès de sens réduit le vers en cendres.

Dans le creux du langage. Jamais dans le plein.

(« Je » est d’autant plus présent dans Les natures indivisibles
que, dans La notion d’obstacle, ce pronom était radicalement
absent.)

L’importance du dos.

Un livre n’appartient pas. Un corps, à qui appartiendrait-il ?

« Ma science ne peut être qu’une science de pointillés. Je
n’ai ni le temps ni les moyens de tracer une ligne continue. »
(Marcel Jousse.)

Le corps n’est pas sujet, c’est pourquoi . . .
Close

TO DISCRIMINATE

The whole of poetry is preposition.

It’s only with your foot on the core of the tightrope
that the narrative unfolds. Before that, there are only
fragments of sense and you see nothing of what ties
the plot together.

Voice is no help in constructing a framework. It
dissolves the whole, makes it fragile, and retains only
appearance.

Accidents are essential. They are what give form and
readability.

“They speak to the ear, I wish to speak to the memory.”
(Joseph Joubert.)

Too much sense reduces the line to ashes.

In the hollows of language. Never in its fullness.

(“Je” is all the more present in Les natures indivisibles as
in La notion d'obstacle this pronoun is totally absent.)

Importance of the back.

A book is not a property. Whose property is a body?

“My science can only be a science point by point.
I have neither time nor means to trace a continuous
line.” (Marcel Jousse.)

The body is not a subject; that’s why . . .

TO DISCRIMINATE

The whole of poetry is preposition.

It’s only with your foot on the core of the tightrope
that the narrative unfolds. Before that, there are only
fragments of sense and you see nothing of what ties
the plot together.

Voice is no help in constructing a framework. It
dissolves the whole, makes it fragile, and retains only
appearance.

Accidents are essential. They are what give form and
readability.

“They speak to the ear, I wish to speak to the memory.”
(Joseph Joubert.)

Too much sense reduces the line to ashes.

In the hollows of language. Never in its fullness.

(“Je” is all the more present in Les natures indivisibles as
in La notion d'obstacle this pronoun is totally absent.)

Importance of the back.

A book is not a property. Whose property is a body?

“My science can only be a science point by point.
I have neither time nor means to trace a continuous
line.” (Marcel Jousse.)

The body is not a subject; that’s why . . .
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