Guillaume Apollinaire
From red to green all the yellow dies
When the macaws sing in the native forests
Abatis of pihis
There is a poem to be written about the bird that has only one wing
We will send it by telephone message
Giant trauma
It makes the eyes run
Here is a pretty young girl among the young Turinese
The poor young man blew his nose in his
white
tie You will lift the curtain
And now here is the window opening
Spiders when the hands wove the light
Beauty unfathomable paleness violets
We will try in vain to take a rest
We will start at midnight
When we have time we have freedom
Periwinkles Multiple monkfish Suns and the Sea Urchin of the setting sun
An old pair of yellow shoes in front of the window
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Analysis (AI Assisted)
This war poem offers a fragmented, impressionistic reflection on beauty, loss, and the passage of time, using vivid imagery and disjointed metaphors to convey a sense of dislocation and surrealism in the aftermath of conflict. The opening line, “From red to green all the yellow dies,” evokes a transition from vitality to decay, symbolizing the impact of war on nature, growth, and life itself.
The mention of macaws and native forests suggests a deep connection to the natural world, yet it is quickly interrupted by the reference to “Abatis of pihis,” which could imply defensive barriers, perhaps referencing the destructive, isolating forces of war. This contrasts the vivid, colorful imagery with a sense of confinement and loss, signaling the tension between the beauty of life and the harsh realities of conflict.
The image of a bird with “only one wing” is central to the poem’s meditation on fragility and incompleteness. This motif serves as a metaphor for the human experience in a post-war world: irrevocably altered and impaired, yet still attempting to function or communicate. The “telephone message” and “giant trauma” suggest the fractured nature of communication and the overwhelming psychological impact of war. The mention of eyes running evokes tears, symbolizing sorrow or grief that is impossible to contain.
As the poem moves forward, it juxtaposes seemingly ordinary images—”a pretty young girl among the young Turinese” and “the poor young man blew his nose in his white tie”—with surreal and disconnected elements like “spiders when the hands wove the light” and “multiple monkfish.” These images serve to blur the boundary between the mundane and the absurd, perhaps reflecting how war distorts reality and disrupts the natural flow of everyday life.
The poem continues with references to beauty, light, and nature, particularly in the mention of “violets,” “suns,” and “sea urchins,” but these images are fleeting and incomplete, as if the speaker is reaching for something beyond grasp, a beauty that is unattainable or lost. This sense of yearning is underscored by the lines “We will try in vain to take a rest / We will start at midnight,” evoking exhaustion and the perpetual motion of both mind and body, unable to find peace or closure.
The final image of “an old pair of yellow shoes in front of the window” provides a poignant visual of decay and abandonment, as if the past—symbolized by the shoes—has been left behind, untouched and forgotten in a world that has moved on.
Overall, the poem explores themes of disillusionment, fragmentation, and the struggle to make sense of a world ravaged by war. Through its disjointed imagery and surreal metaphors, it captures the deep sense of loss and confusion that comes with attempting to reconcile the beauty of life with the horrors of conflict. The poem presents an emotional landscape that is at once haunting and elusive, speaking to the difficulties of finding meaning or rest in the aftermath of war.