Jacques Prévert

Infobox Writer
name =Jacques Prévert

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caption =
birthdate = birth date|1900|2|4|df=y
birthplace = Paris, France¹
deathdate = death date and age|1977|4|11|1900|2|4|df=y
deathplace = Omonville-la-Petite, France
occupation = Poet, Screenwriter
genre = Poetry
movement = Surrealism, Symbolism
influences =
influenced =
website = Jacques Prévert (pronounced|ʒak pʀeˈvɛʀ in French; February 4, 1900 - April 11, 1977) was a French poet and screenwriter.

Life

Prévert was born at Neuilly-sur-Seine and grew up in Paris where he was bored by school. He often went to theater with his father, a drama critic, and acquired a love of reading from his mother. After receiving his "Certificat d'études" attesting to his having completed his primary education, he quit school and went to work in "Le Bon Marché" department store in Paris. Then, he was called up for military service in 1918 and after the war was sent to the Near East.

He died in Omonville-la-Petite.

Poetry

Prévert participated actively in the surrealist movement and was a member of the "rue du Château" group along with Raymond Queneau and Marcel Duchamp, although Prévert was really too much of a free spirit to be a member of any group.

Prévert's poems were published in his books "Paroles" (Words) (1946), "Histoires" (Stories) (1963), "Spectacle" (1951), "La Pluie et le beau temps" (Rain and Good Weather) (1955), "Fatras" (1971) and "Choses et autres" (Things and Others) (1973).

His poems are often about life in Paris and life after the Second World War. They are widely taught in schools in France and frequently appear in French language textbooks throughout the world.

Some of Prévert's poems such as "Les Feuilles mortes" (Autumn Leaves) were set to music by Joseph Kosma, Germaine Tailleferre of Les Six, Christiane Verger and Hanns Eisler, and were also sung by prominent 20th century French vocalists including Yves Montand and Édith Piaf as well as by the American singer Joan Baez.

Film

Prévert wrote a number of classic screenplays for the film director Marcel Carné. Among the films were "Drôle de drame" (Bizarre, Bizarre, 1937), "Quai des brumes" (Port of Shadows, 1938), "Le jour se lève" (Daybreak, 1939), "Les Visiteurs du soir" (The Night Visitors, 1942) and "Les enfants du paradis" (The Children of Paradise, 1945), often considered one of the greatest films of all time. His poems were also the basis for the movie "La Seine a rencontré Paris" (The Seine Meets Paris, 1957) by the film director and documentarist Joris Ivens, being read as narration during the film by singer Serge Reggiani.

Bibliography

* "Paroles" (1946)
* "Contes pour enfants pas sages" (Tales for unwise children) (1947)
* "Le Petit Lion", with photographs of a baby lion by Ylla (1947, reprinted 1984)
* "Les Bêtes", with photographs of animals by Ylla (1950, reprinted 1984)
* "Spectacle" (1951)
* "Grand bal du printemps", with photographs by Izis Bidermanas (1951)
* "Lettre des îles Baladar" (Letter from the Baladar Islands) (1952)
* "Tour de chant" (1953)
* "La pluie et le beau temps" (The rain and the sunny day) (1955)
* "Histoires" (1963) (stories)
* "Le Cirque d'Izis", with photographs by Izis Bidermanas and original artwork by Marc Chagall (André Sauret, 1965)
* "Fatras" (1966)
* "Charmes de Londres", with photographs by Izis Bidermanas (Editions de Monza, 1999)

Filmography

Prévert wrote the scenarios and sometimes the dialog in the following films:
* "Le Crime de monsieur Lange" (1935)
* "Drôle de drame" (1937)
* "Quai des brumes" (1938)
* "Les Disparus de Saint-Agil" (1938)
* "Le Jour se lève" (1939)
* "Les Visiteurs du soir" (1942)
* "Les Enfants du paradis" (1943)
* "Les Portes de la nuit" (1945)
* "La Bergère et le ramoneur" (also titled: "Le roi et l'oiseau") (animated film, 1953)
* "Grand Jean et Petit Jean", after Hans Christian Andersen (live action and animation).

External links

*
* [http://xtream.online.fr/Prevert/indexeng.html Jacques Prévert] : Prévert's poetry in English.
* [http://www.maxizone.fr/index.php?option=com_content&task=category&sectionid=5&id=15&Itemid=27 Poems with music] : Le jardin, La chanson du geolier, Déjeuner du matin, Sables Mouvants.
* [http://vieadeux.biotope.ca/?p=13 Podcast: Audio reading of the poem «Barbara»] fr icon
* [http://sedulia.blogs.com/sedulias_translations/2005/04/remember_barbar.html English translation of the poem «Barbara»]
* [http://vieadeux.biotope.ca/?p=63 Podcast: Audio reading of the poem «Le cancre»] fr icon
* [http://www.e-pao.net/epSubPageExtractor.asp?src=MeiteiMayek.meetei_mayek_Poems.Engkhol Le Jardin in Manipuri] translated by Konthoujam Suranjit
* [http://bibliographienationale.bnf.fr/DSAM/CuA_05.H/IndexAuteurPhysique-94.html Bibliographie nationale française audiovisuel]

Persondata
NAME= Prévert, Jacques
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Prevert, Jacques
SHORT DESCRIPTION=poet
DATE OF BIRTH=February 4, 1900
PLACE OF BIRTH=Neuilly-sur-Seine, France
DATE OF DEATH=April 11, 1977
PLACE OF DEATH=Omonville-la-Petite, France