French Poem Reading & Analysis - Volume 2

Volume 2: 19th Century Poems - part 1

Structure of the explanations

Each explanation comes with a French transcript and English translation, and consists of 5 parts:

1. A slow reading of the poem
2. A verse-by-verse explanation of the poem's vocabulary in simple, every-day French
3. An overview of the life of the author
4. A reachable verse-by-verse explanation of the poem's meaning and images
5. A personal and faster reading of the poem

This volume includes the following poems; make sure you check out the other Easy French Poetry volumes.

1. "Elle Était Déchaussée, Elle Était Décoiffée" De Victor Hugo

This little known Victor Hugo's poem is very charming, short and easy to understand. It's about a boy who is taking a walk by a stream and suddenly discovers a beautiful, wild, and irresistible young woman bathing her feet...

The poem has real cinematographic quality to it; you can picture the scene as if you were there.

2. "Demain Dès L'aube" De Victor Hugo

Far from being one the best-known masterpieces of Victor Hugo, this beautiful poem takes us for walk through Normandy's countryside. The destination of the journey is a mystery. One first imagines a lover's date... but the poem will unravel a meaning much deeper to the poet's heart.

3. "Chant D'Automne" De Paul Verlaine

This sad and melancholic, yet wonderful, short poem is also charged with historic meaning. You might be familiar with the first 2 verses which were used by General de Gaulle, chief of the resistance and future president of the liberated France, in the days and hours preceding the launch of D-day.

4. "Parfum Exotique" De Charles Baudelaire

This poem is one of my favorites. Of course, like many French and Americans, I adore Baudelaire for his stylistic originality and his extreme sensitivity. I love this poem because it is simply beautiful, highly sensual, and surprisingly positive for a Baudelaire poem!

How to work with these poem readings & analyses?

Audio

The more you listen to the audio, the more you will understand. The slow reading and explanation of the vocabulary are easier. The life of the author and poem analysis, harder. Concentrate on the part that is best suited for your level and repeat, repeat, repeat.

French transcript

If you don’t understand something in the audio – even after several repetitions – check the French transcript. Why didn’t you get it? Was it because of the vocabulary or because of the pronunciation? Use the transcript to read out loud, mimicking my pronunciation.

English transcript

Use it as a last resort, to check the exact meaning of something. These are only some pointers. You know best what you need to work on: understanding faster, working on your linking words, being able to stay focussed over a long recording, or again work on your pronunciation. The uses of these analyses are endless, so find the combination that works best for you. And remember, repetition is the key...