beauty

butterfly

cigarette

excess

history

language

liquid

object

poetry

rose

soap

stone

wasp

wind

nationality

French

occupation / innovator as

poet

essayist

scientific organization

Bavarian Academy of Fine Arts

is a flying match whose flame’s not contagious.

a butterfly as “a flying match whose flame’s not contagious”

is like a maintenance man, it checks the flowers’ oil, one after the other.

the butterfly is like a maintenance man it checks [the flowers’] oil one after the other.”

is all about its disheveled setting: dry and hazy.

The cigarette is all about its disheveled setting: dry and hazy — the setting the cigarette creates. In the setting shows the personality, certain pretensions, a pretension to being a tiny torch. In fact it functions just like incense stick – all fragrance and no light. Next it pretends to measure time. It measures time with small mounds of ash. As for its passions, the pathetic drama plays itself out in shedding silver dandruff off the ardent point… to end up as a muff.

is that little sewer where man loves to wallow.

It is always towards the proverbial that language tends.

is that which chooses to obey gravity rather than maintain its form.

Liquid, by definition, is that which chooses to obey gravity rather than maintain its form.

 has no duty whatsoever toward me, it is I who am obliged to it.

The object is always more important, more interesting, more capable (full of rights): it has no duty whatsoever toward me, it is I who am obliged to it.

has something excessive about it, like many plates piled up in front of a dinner guest.

There is something excessive about a rose, like many plates piled up in front of a dinner guest.

is a fish that slips from one and dives into the basin like a frog, emitting a blue cloud of confusion.

Soap was made by man for his body’s use, yet it does not willingly attend him. This inert stone is nearly as hard to hold as a fish. See it slip from me and like a frog dive into the basin again … emitting also at its own expense a blue cloud of evanescence, of confusion.

 celebrates its marriage with water by growing almost instantly into a Chinese fish with a gown of veils and kimonos.

This egg, this flat dab—this little almond, which grows so quickly (almost instantly) into a Chinese fish With its veils and kimonos And wide sleeves Thus it celebrates its marriage with water. Such is the gown of its marriage with water.

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is an inert stone nearly as hard to hold as a fish.

 does not regenerate, and thus, the only thing in nature that constantly dies.

Stone, which does not regenerate, is the only thing in nature that constantly dies.

is a good emblem for fruitless warfare, for she leaves her stinger in the victim, and dies in the process.

What is it they say? That the wasp leaves her stinger in the victim, and dies in the process? That would be a pretty good emblem for fruitless warfare. p.10

is an airborne cauldron for making jam, hermetically sealed but yielding, the ponderous rear axle careening along in flight.

. . .An airborne cauldron for making jam, hermetically sealed but yielding, the ponderous rear axle careening along in flight. p. 9

is in a perpetual state of crisis, which renders her dangerous.

She seems to exist in a perpetual state of crisis, which renders her dangerous. p.7

is like an electric streetcar: a short train with the engine and the observation car that sizzles like a chemical reaction. And if she touches down, it’s an electrical jolt, a venomous vibration.

Analogy between a wasp and an electric streetcar. Something mute in repose and vocal in action. Also something of a short train, with first and second classes, or rather the engine and the observation car. And of a sizzling trolley. Sizzling like a deep fry, like an (effervescent) chemical reaction. And if she touches down, she stings! Nothing like a mechanical blow: it’s an electrical jolt, a venomous vibration.

is stupid, for if cut in two, it takes her two days to realize that she’s dead. She keeps on flailing about. Even more than before.

A wasp is so stupid – I mean no offense – that if cut in two, she goes on living. It takes her two days to realize that she’s dead. She keeps on flailing about. Even more than before p.11

is the musical form of honey: a major note, sharped, insistent, beginning faintly but not easy to release, clinging, bright, with alternating force and frailty.

The wasp can be called the musical form of honey. That’s to say a major note, sharped, insistent, beginning faintly but not easy to release, clinging, bright, with alternating force and frailty, etc. p. 15

is sometimes strong enough to uproot a tree or knock down a building, but cannot displace a pebble.

A wind strong enough to uproot a tree or knock down a building cannot displace a pebble.

Francis Ponge

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Francis Ponge