Patches Of Sunlight, Or Of Shadow Safeguarded Notes 1952–2005 by Philippe Jaccottet Translated by John Taylor

 Patches Of Sunlight, Or Of Shadow Safeguarded Notes 1952–2005

by Philippe Jaccottet Translated by John Taylor is a new book by Seagull. 

In this new work there are the impressions on reality of the beloved poet and writer spanning from 1952-2005, starting with the observation that he composed thirdy school notebooks, with the intimate desire of destroying them lately, because, Philippe thought, once dead he would have avoided in this way the publication of material too repetitive.

Said this, Philippe Jaccottet throught, that, after all it would have been great the publication of all that notes considered more interesting.

We start with 1952 with observations on wars in the world, and the big answer: why? Her wife in the while is lived as "the fragility of the membrane separating us, protecting us from terror, tortures, crimes." 

This first lines taken by Cowper Powys's novel became his mantra. It says: "There are moments in almost everyone’s life when events occur in a special and curious manner . . . Another peculiarity of these moments is a sensation as if there were a spiritual screen, made of a material far more impenetrable than adamant, between our existing world of forms and impressions and some other world, and as if this screen had suddenly grown extremely thin".

Poetry should be a lamp, lighting our heart, without feeling competition with the bright stars in the sky.

After a long life....

"Often so little remains,and one doesn’t know which ones

were vain, which ones burn like wax in the heart

and are carried from place to place, a procession of

glassware, nightlights, constellations of long-lost things

that will still shine in the confused thoughts of the

old man."

If nature is the central thematic after all of the first years, in 1964 a reading inspires the poet on spirituality, soul, dualism of the world, analyzing our system of living.

There are chapters where he treats the departures of beloved relatives, and his mother's death as well; death is a sort of leit motiv for the poet but there are also  reflections on the human nature and conditions.

Highly recommended book.

I thank Seagull Press for the copy of the book.

Anna Maria Polidori