La poésie engagée dans (Les yeux d’Elsa) de Louis Aragon et (Barbara) de Jacques Prévert

Abstract

Committed poetry emerged in the twentieth century during World War II as a response to the German occupation. Many poets actively participated in the resistance, both through fighting and writing, including Éluard, Aragon, Desnos, Prévert, and others. Their works were disseminated through newspapers and clandestine channels, allowing them to play an honest and significant role in defending the values of their homeland during this critical period.

The first major theme addressed in committed poetry was freedom. A prime example of this is Paul Éluard's poem Liberté, written in 1942 to restore hope among the population, resistance fighters, and rebels: "The poem Liberté, by Paul Eluard, composed of 21 quatrains, was parachuted in several thousand copies by British planes of the Royal Air Force over French soil in 1942, at the same time as weapons and munitions.". (Roussy, 2020). Other poems from this period also offer rich examples of committed poetry. The works of Prévert, Aragon, and other poets during this time serve as a testament to the effectiveness and clarity of committed poetry as a powerful tool of resistance.