Le Prince D'aquitaine À La Tour Abolie
Le Prince D'aquitaine À La Tour Abolie is a poem written in French by Guillaume Apollinaire in 1913. Translated to English, the poem is titled "The Prince of Aquitaine by the Ruined Tower." The poem is about the speaker's longing for a love that he has lost. It is also about the speaker's search for meaning in a world that seems to have lost its innocence. In this article, we will delve deeper into the poem and explore its themes, symbols, and literary devices.
The Story of the Poem
The poem is narrated by a speaker who is reminiscing about his past love. He is melancholic and nostalgic, thinking about his lost love and the moments they shared. The poem is divided into three stanzas, and each stanza describes the speaker's feelings towards his love.
In the first stanza, the speaker describes his love as a "prince of Aquitaine." Aquitaine is a region in southwestern France, which was ruled by feudal lords in the medieval period. The speaker uses this term to describe the grandeur and importance of his love in his life.
In the second stanza, the speaker describes his love as a "ruined tower." This metaphor suggests that the speaker's love has been destroyed or lost. The speaker is trying to find meaning in his life without his love.
In the third stanza, the speaker reflects on the nature of love and how it changes over time. The speaker's love has become a memory, and he has come to accept that it can never be revived.
Themes in the Poem
Love and loss are the primary themes of Le Prince D'aquitaine À La Tour Abolie. The speaker's love is described as grand and important, but it is also fleeting and fragile. The speaker's search for meaning without his love is a universal theme that many people can relate to.
In addition, the poem explores the nature of memory and how memories can shape our lives. The speaker's love has become a memory, and it is through this memory that he is able to reflect on his life and find meaning.
Symbols in the Poem
The poem is filled with symbols that help to convey its themes. One such symbol is the "prince of Aquitaine." This symbol represents the grandeur and importance of the speaker's love. The use of the term "prince" elevates the speaker's love to a level of importance that is fit for royalty.
Another symbol is the "ruined tower." This symbol represents the loss of the speaker's love. The use of the term "ruined" suggests that the love was destroyed or lost, and that it can never be regained.
The final symbol is the "memory" of the speaker's love. This symbol represents the importance of memories in our lives. The memory of the speaker's love allows him to reflect on his life and find meaning, even though the love itself is gone.
Literary Devices in the Poem
Le Prince D'aquitaine À La Tour Abolie is filled with literary devices that help to convey its themes and symbols. One such device is metaphor. The use of the metaphor "prince of Aquitaine" elevates the speaker's love to a level of importance that is fit for royalty.
Another literary device is repetition. The repetition of the phrase "my heart is a house" in the second stanza emphasizes the speaker's desire to find meaning in his life without his love. The repetition of the phrase "et je suis triste" (and I am sad) in the third stanza emphasizes the speaker's melancholy and acceptance of his lost love.
The poem also uses imagery to describe the speaker's feelings. The image of the "ruined tower" suggests the speaker's despair and sense of loss. The image of the "sea" in the second stanza suggests the vastness of the speaker's emotions and the depth of his longing.
Conclusion
Le Prince D'aquitaine À La Tour Abolie is a poem that explores the themes of love and loss, memory, and the search for meaning in life. The poem uses symbols, literary devices, and imagery to convey its themes and to create a sense of melancholy and nostalgia in the reader. Apollinaire's poem reminds us of the fragility of love and the importance of memories in our lives.
