franciscovazbrasil

Trois ans après, Victor HUGO

Trois ans après

Victor HUGO

Il est temps que je me repose ;
Je suis terrassé par le sort.
Ne me parlez pas d'autre chose
Que des ténèbres où l'on dort !

Que veut-on que je recommence ?
Je ne demande désormais
A la création immense
Qu'un peu de silence et de paix !

Pourquoi m'appelez-vous encore ?
J'ai fait ma tâche et mon devoir.
Qui travaillait avant l'aurore,
Peut s'en aller avant le soir.

A vingt ans, deuil et solitude !
Mes yeux, baissés vers le gazon,
Perdirent la douce habitude
De voir ma mère à la maison.

Elle nous quitta pour la tombe ;
Et vous savez bien qu'aujourd'hui
Je cherche, en cette nuit qui tombe,
Un autre ange qui s'est enfui !

Vous savez que je désespère,
Que ma force en vain se défend,
Et que je souffre comme père,
Moi qui souffris tant comme enfant !

Mon oeuvre n'est pas terminée,
Dites-vous. Comme Adam banni,
Je regarde ma destinée,
Et je vois bien que j'ai fini.

L'humble enfant que Dieu m'a ravie
Rien qu'en m'aimant savait m'aider ;
C'était le bonheur de ma vie
De voir ses yeux me regarder.

Si ce Dieu n'a pas voulu clore
L'oeuvre qu'il me fit commencer,
S'il veut que je travaille encore,
Il n'avait qu'à me la laisser !

Il n'avait qu'à me laisser vivre
Avec ma fille à mes côtés,
Dans cette extase où je m'enivre
De mystérieuses clartés !

Ces clartés, jour d'une autre sphère,
Ô Dieu jaloux, tu nous les vends !
Pourquoi m'as-tu pris la lumière
Que j'avais parmi les vivants ?

As-tu donc pensé, fatal maître,
Qu'à force de te contempler,
Je ne voyais plus ce doux être,
Et qu'il pouvait bien s'en aller ?

T'es-tu dit que l'homme, vaine ombre,
Hélas! perd son humanité
A trop voir cette splendeur sombre
Qu'on appelle la vérité ?

Qu'on peut le frapper sans qu'il souffre,
Que son coeur est mort dans l'ennui,
Et qu'à force de voir le gouffre,
Il n'a plus qu'un abîme en lui ?

Qu'il va, stoïque, où tu l'envoies,
Et que désormais, endurci,
N'ayant plus ici-bas de joies,
Il n'a plus de douleurs aussi ?

As-tu pensé qu'une âme tendre
S'ouvre à toi pour se mieux fermer,
Et que ceux qui veulent comprendre
Finissent par ne plus aimer ?

Ô Dieu ! vraiment, as-tu pu croire
Que je préférais, sous les cieux,
L'effrayant rayon de ta gloire
Aux douces lueurs de ses yeux ?

Si j'avais su tes lois moroses,
Et qu'au même esprit enchanté
Tu ne donnes point ces deux choses,
Le bonheur et la vérité,

Plutôt que de lever tes voiles,
Et de chercher, coeur triste et pur,
A te voir au fond des étoiles,
Ô Dieu sombre d'un monde obscur,

J'eusse aimé mieux, loin de ta face,
Suivre, heureux, un étroit chemin,
Et n'être qu'un homme qui passe
Tenant son enfant par la main

http://www.etudes-litteraires.com/forum/topic23904-les-plus-beaux-textes-de-la-litterature-francaise.html

THE GRAPEVINE by John Ashbery

THE GRAPEVINE

John Ashbery

Of who we and all they are
You all now know. But you know
After they began to find us out we grew
Before they died thinking us the causes

Of their acts. Now we'll not know
The truth of some still at the piano, though
They often date from us, causing
These changes we think we are. We don't care

Though, so tall up there
In young air. But things get darker as we move
To ask them: Whom must we get to know
To die, so you live and we know?

http://www.writing.upenn.edu/~afilreis/88/grapevine.html

A un viejo poeta, JORGE LUIS BORGES

A un viejo poeta

JORGE LUIS BORGES

Caminas por el campo de Castilla
Y casi no lo ves. Un intrincado
Versículo de Juan es tu cuidado
Y apenas reparaste en la amarilla
Puesta del sol. La vaga luz delira
Y en el confín del Este se dilata
Esa luna de escarnio y de escarlata
Que es acaso el espejo de la ira.
Alzas los ojos y la miras. Una
Memoria de algo que fue tuyo empieza
Y se apaga. La pálida cabeza
Bajas y sigues caminando triste,
Sin recordar el verso que escribiste:
Y su epitafio la sangrienta luna.

BOOKS WE NEED READ

The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

Why: This book is all about overcoming the inevitable obstacles that stand in the way of creative success — but it can also apply to everything, not just artistic endeavors. Definitely a useful companion for when you start questioning your college major and feel overwhelmed by finals.

A Field Guide to Getting Lost by Rebecca Solnit

Why: The collection of essays is centered around self-discovery and explores the idea of enjoying being lost. Because, yes, life outside high school is no doubt confusing, but there’s also a lot of beauty in not knowing what lies in store.

Daring Greatly by Dr. Brené Brown

Why: If high school was all about trying to fit in, the rest of adult life should be about taking risks and shedding that crippling fear of failure we all had when we were 16 and weren’t sure if we should join drama club or not. If there’s any book that proves making mistakes is the only road to success, it’s this one.

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Why: It’s a lighthearted story of a girl who harbors an obsession for a fictional equivalent of the Harry Potter franchise, and is given a rude awakening when she heads off to college and starts to feel pressure to let go of her passion. Whether you belong to a fandom or not, the novel smartly approaches the topic of moving on from the things we’ve always loved, which is no doubt a huge part of every newly graduated high schooler’s life.

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

Why: Chances are, your upcoming college experience won’t turn into a psychological thriller involving on-campus murders and a clique of extreme social misfits (though who knows, really?). But reading Tartt’s lengthy novel will do more than simply entertain — the main characters deal with adjusting to life in a small college and try to figure themselves out, making it relatable to any incoming freshman.

The Rules of Attraction by Bret Easton Ellis

Why: Yet another book set in an posh liberal arts college, this one deals with three emotionally confused students who find themselves drawn into a romantic triangle that further magnifies their anxieties about their futures. The tone is both biting and comical, commenting on the mess of feelings and fears many college students try to wade through.

Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke

Why: Like the title suggests, this book is comprised of letters addressed to a young aspiring poet that give advice ranging from how to unlock creativity to how to open up and embrace love. Poet or not, there are lessons in here for every young person facing a new world.

The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera

Why: This lauded novel reads almost like a collection of sketches rather than in-depth analyses of the characters, offering a philosophical look into the power dynamics of relationships. It’s a stunning meditation on life, and it’ll make you wonder why it was never on your high school reading list to begin with.

Wise Blood by Flannery O’Connor

Why: Although the protagonist is older than the average high school graduate — and, oh yeah, is also a prophet — his struggles and meditations on self-discovery and redemption make this a worthwhile and rich novel to read while being introduced to a new chapter of life.

On Writing by Stephen King

Why: It doesn’t matter if you’re an aspiring writer or not because A) it’s an entertaining and enlightening read regardless and B) chances are, it’ll still provide you with a few good tips on how to nail the inevitable college essay.

The Moviegoer by Walker Percy

Why: It’s a tale of an emotionally detached stockbroker who tries to find meaning and beauty in an increasingly shallow world by going to movies alone and trying to come to terms with his existential crisis. Definitely a good read before entering post-high school life and trying to figure out your career/goals/ultimate dreams.

The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X and Alex Haley

Why: The Spike Lee quote in the cover image says it all, really.

Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis

Why: Told from the perspective of a professor rather than a student, this novel navigates through a stuffy campus and provides a clever, intensely satirical take on postwar British university life that proves to be applicable to everyone who’s ever dealt with pretentious classmates.

The Mysteries of Pittsburgh by Michael Chabon

Why: It’s the ultimate coming-of-age story, often compared to high school reading list favorites The Great Gatsby and The Catcher in the Rye, and walks through the life of a boy who’s sorting through complex relationships with his father, his friends, and, most importantly, himself.

The Savage Detectives: A Novel by Roberto Bolaño

Why: Besides being a must-read for anyone studying Spanish, this layered book poignantly addresses the many madnesses one faces in life, playing around with style and structure in ways that deviate from the books read in high school.