Afternoon

Verhaeren, Emile, 1855-1916Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.5

Word count: 25K words
Chapters: 3

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Afternoon by Emile VerhaerenAuthor: Verhaeren, Emile, 1855-1916,Language: English, Class: PQ: Language and Literatures: Romance literatures: French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Release Date: Apr 24, 2014

Editor's review

This is the English edition of Afternoon by the Belgian French-language poet Émile Verhaeren, released by Project Gutenberg. Verhaeren is known for his Symbolist poetry and for urban and rural themes, and his work is marked by striking imagery and strong rhythmic drive. This short e-book serves as an introductory sample of Verhaeren in English translation and can also be read alongside the French original by readers of comparative literature. Its value lies in the texture and emotional development of late nineteenth-century Symbolist poetry rather than in systematic literary history. As a public-domain electronic text, it lacks translator's notes and an introduction, so readers must supply their own background on the author and on poetic terminology. It suits short, close reading and repeated recitation, not readers expecting narrative plot.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in Verhaeren and Symbolist poetry
Literature students who need samples of poetry in English translation
Poetry lovers who enjoy close reading and repeated recitation of short poems
Researchers in comparative literature or French-English poetry translation

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting a novel or a full narrative plot
Readers who want light entertainment with no background preparation
Beginning readers who need detailed annotations and an introduction

Reading tips

Learn about Verhaeren's life and the Symbolist background before approaching the text.
Read each poem aloud once, then silently, noting rhythm and recurring images.
Compare with the French original or a reliable translation to see differences in word choice.
After reading, write two or three sentences on your response, noting recurring images and moods.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book poetry or prose?

According to the source data, this is an English-language text by Verhaeren, classified under French literature. Verhaeren is known primarily as a poet; this short book is closer to poetry or lyrical prose and suits close reading rather than being treated as narrative prose.

Do I need to know about Verhaeren before reading?

It is advisable to learn the basics of Verhaeren's life and the Symbolist background first, as this helps in understanding the imagery and mood of the text. The electronic edition usually has no introduction, so readers may consult a literary history or encyclopedia entry for brief preparation.

How different is the English version from the French original?

Poetry translation inevitably loses some rhythm, sound, and verbal associations. The English version suits introductory and comparative reading; to appreciate the original's verbal texture more deeply, read it alongside the French poems or a annotated translation.

Is this e-book suitable for classroom use?

It can serve as supplementary material for close reading of poetry, but because it lacks annotations and an introduction, teachers must prepare background materials and discussion questions themselves. It is better suited to small-scale teaching such as close reading of short pieces or translation comparison.

Comments

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About the author

Verhaeren, Emile, 1855-1916 Author

Emile Verhaeren (1855-1916) was a Belgian poet who wrote in French; the library holds thirteen of his works. His poetry often sets modern urban life against the natural countryside: Les Villes tentaculaires, précédées des Campagnes hallucinées contrasts city and field in the age of industrialization, while the verse sequences Les Heures du Soir, The Sunlit Hours and The Evening Hours centre on time, love and everyday feeling, their tone shifting from early gravity toward clarity. His language is rhythmical and dense with imagery, and his repeated cadences give the verse a musical quality that gives him a distinctive place within Symbolism and some influence on later European poetry. Public information on the details of his life is limited; this note therefore draws only on the works held here to describe his themes and style.