Gustave Kahn



Gustave Kahn (December 21, 1859 – September 5, 1936) was a French poet and art critic.

Life
Kahn was born in Metz.

He claimed to have invented the term vers libre, or free verse; he was in any case one of the first European exponents of the form. His principal publications include Les Palais nomades, 1887, Domaine de fée, 1895, and Le Livre d'images, 1897. Kahn also made a valuable contribution to the history of the Symbolist movement with his book Symbolistes et décadents, 1902.

In addition to his poems, Kahn was a public intellectual who wrote novels, plays, and literary criticism. He played a key role in a number of periodicals, including La Vogue, La Revue Indépendante, La Revue Blanche and Le Mercure de France. He was also an art critic and collector who stayed current with developments in painting and sculpture until his death. He also played a role in a number of debates on public issues, including anarchism, feminism, socialism, and Zionism. Rimbaud's poem Après le Deluge was published in the fifth issue of La Vogue.

Several of his poems were set to music by the composer Charles Loeffler.

Publications

 * Palais nomades (1887)
 * Les Chansons d'amant (1891)
 * Domaine de fée (1895)
 * Le Roi fou (1896)
 * La Pluie et le beau temps (1896)
 * Limbes de lumières (1897)
 * Le Livre d'images (1897)
 * Premières poèmes (1897)
 * Le Conte de l'or et du silence (1898)
 * Les Petites Ames pressées (1898)
 * Le Cirque solaire (1898)
 * Les Fleurs de la passion (1900)
 * L'Adultère sentimental (1902)
 * Symbolistes et décadents (1902)
 * Odes de la "Raison" (1902 réédité aux Editions du Fourneau 1995)
 * Contes hollandais (1903)
 * La Femme dans la caricature française (1907)
 * Contes hollandais (deuxième série) (1908)
 * La Pépinière du Luxembourg (1923)
 * L'Aube enamourée (1925)
 * Mourle (1925)
 * Silhouettes littéraires (1925)
 * La Childebert (1926)
 * Contes juifs (1926 réédité chez "Les Introuvables" 1977)
 * Images bibliques (1929)
 * Terre d'Israël (1933)

Quotation

 * Les Paons


 * Se penchant vers les dahlias,
 * Des paons cabraient des rosaces lunaires,
 * L'assouplissement des branches vénère
 * Son pâle visage aux mourants dahlias.


 * Elle écoute au loin les brèves musiques
 * Nuit claire aux ramures d'accords,
 * Et la lassitude a bercé son corps
 * Au rythme odorant des pures musiques.


 * Les paons ont dressé la rampe ocellée
 * Pour la descente de ses yeux vers le tapis
 * De choses et de sens
 * Qui va vers l'horizon, parure vermiculée
 * De son corps alangui.
 * En l'âme se tapit
 * le flou désir molide récits et d'encens.