A. Lüthi, Pratique et poétique de la note chez Georges Perros et Philippe Jaccottet - Poetry and Poetics

French Literature Reviews - 2026

A. Lüthi, Pratique et poétique de la note chez Georges Perros et Philippe Jaccottet
Poetry and Poetics

Review published in Acta Fabula: “Sous le signe du notulaire — les gammes de littérature” by Dumitra Baron.

Ariane Lüthi, Pratique et poétique de la note chez Georges Perros et Philippe Jaccottet

Paris: Éditions du Sandre, 2009.

402 p.

  • ISBN: 978-2-35821-023-2
  • 36 €.
  • Distribution: L'Harmattan

Publisher's presentation
This book explores the writing of the note and reflections on its practice in the works of Georges Perros and Philippe Jaccottet. Alongside their poetry, both writers published several collections of short texts that they themselves designated as "notes". The discontinuous texts examined here — Papiers collés, Carnets, or Semaisons — were published between 1960 and 2001. By identifying the formal characteristics of these brief utterances, including the various uses, values, and stakes specific to each collection, this essay examines how these texts present themselves to the reader as fully fledged poetic snapshots.

This volume examines the distinctive short texts and discontinuous prose published by Perros and Jaccottet between 1960 and 2001, including well-known collections such as Papiers collés, Carnets, and Semaisons. By analyzing the formal characteristics, uses, and aesthetic stakes of these brief utterances, the study sheds light on a marginal yet essential genre of modern French literature. It demonstrates how these seemingly unpretentious fragments function as fully fledged poetic snapshots, offering readers a unique window into the creative processes of two major literary figures.

Rooted in contemporary French literary studies and genre theory, Ariane Lüthi's research will particularly interest scholars, graduate students, and enthusiasts of twentieth-century poetry and poetics. It provides valuable conceptual tools for understanding the art of the note, bridging the gap between private writing and public poetry. Readers exploring modern forms of brevity, stylistic experimentation, and the aesthetics of the fragment will find this detailed comparative analysis a thoughtful and illuminating companion to the primary works of both authors.