Saturday 11 March 2017

A Misquotation

'Un jour nous partons, le coeur plein de flamme,' says the poet, and goes on to describe the bitter disillusionment we confront at the end of the journey.
Leaving Home, Ch. 4

The actual quote is below. One remembers a story Larkin used to tell. He met Mrs Thatcher for the first time and she misquoted one of his early poems. It was the fact of her misquotation, he felt, that gave the moment its authenticity.
Un matin nous partons, le cerveau plein de flamme, Le coeur gros de rancune et de désirs amers…
Baudelaire, ‘Le voyage’, Fleurs du mal

No comments:

Post a Comment

Questions and comments are always welcome. (Please note: there will be a short delay before publication, as comments are moderated.)