COCTEAU, Jean (1889-1963)

COCTEAU, Jean (1889-1963)

Autograph poem : « Sonnet »
N.p.n.d. [c. 1921], 1 p. in-4°
On laid paper
Slight sunning (see scan)

A very fine poem by Jean Cocteau, published in his collection Vocabulaire, in 1922

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« Aujourd’hui le soleil, redoutable artifice
Pousse vers la vitrine un nouveau bûcheron
Le diamant d’amour y fait sa cicatrice
Lisible sur le ciel blessé par le clairon

Feu! pour mes longs hivers la flamme est écrevisse
Joyeuse, ou bien diane en chasse à l’escadron
Absinthe verte ou vert billard un même vice
Fait de votre journal l’unique liseron

Hôtel peu cher devant la Méditerranée ¹
De tous les matelots morgue où Vénus est née
Char fleuri sous l’orage et rage de Didon

Qui meurt debout sur un lustre de tragédie
Forçat, zèbre craintif caché sous l’édredon
Votre troupe en chemise excite l’incendie »

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Published in 1922 by Éditions de la Sirène, the collection Vocabulaire marks a pivotal stage in Cocteau’s poetic output, bridging the legacy of the avant-garde and a more classically inspired expression. From this point onward, Cocteau affirmed himself in what may be called a “poetry of invention,” marked by shifts in tone, humor, and the quickness of his line (Pléiade). Another manuscript of this poem is known, formerly in the Robert Parienté collection, along with a proof now preserved at the Historical Library of the City of Paris.
This poem, aptly titled “Sonnet” for its metrical form, underwent numerous revisions by Cocteau before reaching its final version, retitled “Jeu Royal” upon its republication in 1925. It is reproduced here in its definitive form, except for the near-total absence of punctuation.

1- Probable allusion to the Hôtel Gilly, where Cocteau stayed with Radiguet from mid-March to mid-April, during which time he worked, among other things, on Vocabulaire.

Included:
A draft of an unpublished poem (½ p. oblong quarto) in pencil, likely from the same period. Composed of a tercet followed by a quatrain, it bears numerous words nervously crossed out by the author. These verses, written by Cocteau, do not appear to have been reworked or integrated into his published poetic production.