Contenu du sommaire : Poésie et politique

“Solitary and solidarity” Interview with Philippe ArtièresIn this interview, Édouard Glissant, a poet and writer from Martinique, talks about his practice of poetry, which he sees as being fundamentally linked to his political commitments and, in particular, his anticolonialism. Telling about the landscape and history and writing in the presence of all the languages of the world are a few of the tasks that Glissant assigns poetry. The poet of the “chaos-world”, in his words, is undertaking a work of liberation, and he must help change imaginations.

Official poetry, partisan poetry during the wars of religionExamining ideas about poetry's role in politics and its uses during the wars of religion (1562-1598) in France brings to light an official code for writing poetry, a way of writing intended to help consolidate social bonds and rally subjects around the king. This code was often transgressed owing to the author's partisan involvement, in particular when person's names were cited for criticism. The clash between this code and such practices was all the greater due to the recognition of the mystical power of poetry, which could enter in contact with a “surreality”, restore harmony in civic life or, on the contrary, bring divine wrath down on enemies. The official forms of poetry's intervention in politics are examined, along with the discursive means used, in an attempt to define specific partisan uses of poetry and understand the reasons why they were effective.

Priests of the language. Poetry, nation and politics in SerbiaSerbian nationalists do not like the borders now dividing the lands that used to form Yugoslavia. For these nationalists, making these borders coincide with ethnic ones is a “dream” to be realized. At present, their actions are limited to defending the unity of what they call the “nation's spiritual space”. Serbian nationalists have dusted off the old idea of the “nation's spirit” being preserved in the language and national poetry. The Serbian language is extolled as “our invisible church”, poets considering themselves to be “priests of the language”. Ceremonies around the monuments of national poets erected in areas peopled by Serbs but under the control of neighbouring states delimit this “spiritual space”.

“Politics on the wings of poetry”.Political, poetic practices in the Northern LeagueThe Northern League, the Italian political party well-known for its xenophobic positions and secessionist tendencies, uses poetry in pursuit of its politics. The independence of Padania, a virtual nation to which those who do not support the Party deny any claim of existence, is a “dream” that poetry can fully incarnate. Poetry also incarnates the League's idea of political participation. Grounded in a strong sense of belonging among militants, the League uses poetry to arouse emotions (recital of poems during meetings) and stimulate people to take part in Party activities (poetry contests during which militants proclaim support for the League).

Ideological poetry and room for freedom in Romania Flacara, an itinerant show of music and poetry organized in line with a proposal by the Communist Youth's central committee, had an enormous impact on Romania's young generations in 1970-1980. How was this cultural event perceived at the time? What role did poetry play in the lives of young people under the authoritarian Communist system? In compliance with the organizers' wishes, the poetry promoted via Flacara was in the service of Communist propaganda. However it was also experienced as a “safety valve” for freedom in a stifling ideological context.

“Poetry and the civic spirit” in TrégorThe case of Trégor in northern Brittany (France) is examined to understand how poetry exists as a practice and form of expression in a society. Whether amateurs or recognized writers, the poets studied herein are all involved in local political and cultural affairs. Poetic and political resources are jointly used for individual and collective purposes.

Revolutionary or nationalistic? Occitan poetry after 1968 Whether in the 19th century, at the time of Frédéric Mistral, or later in the service of other causes, politics is not foreign to Occitan poetry in southwestern France. The years right after May 1968 were a high time in the politics of the region's language, langue d'Oc. For several years, a poetry developed there in the form of protest songs that could move a much larger public than the one devoted to Occitan literature. The forms and themes of this political poetry, which oscillates between revolutionary fervor and nationalistic aspirations, are analyzed.

Who knows how to dance to this tune? We'll give the beat. Music, poetry and politics among the TuaregA new musical genre is now popular among the Tuareg, whether in Mali, Niger, Algeria or Libya. Texts of poetry sung by the Tinariwen, the group who founded this genre, are cited to illustrate phases in the formation of the Tuareg armed, political movement. Officially recognized as of 1990, this movement is usually called the “1990 Tuareg Rebellion”. The social and political momentum created around the performance and reception of these songs is described, as well as changes in the status of this musical genre from 1978 to 1994.

The bewitched mind. Witchcraft's cognitive rootsWitchcraft can be defined as the belief whereby unexplained misfortune is set down to the evil intentions of persons endowed with supernatural powers. Although such beliefs exist in the four corners of the planet, few studies have tried to explain this very wide diffusion, which apparently depends on certain constants in the human mind. By tapping the ever richer corpus of the cognitive sciences, light is shed on the psychological mechanisms accounting for witchcraft's cultural success. The mind's “inclinations” are discussed, namely how the normal course of natural events is registered, how intentional actions are detected and how the processes regulating cooperation operate. The combination of these spontaneous expectations explains why witchcraft often turns out to be capable of being a “representational attractor”.

Urbanism and the “neighbourhood”. What we can learn from Paris Rive GaucheA survey of residents and “producers of the city” (city-planners, real estate operators, politicians) conducted in the new Paris Rive Gauche neighbourhood in the 13th arrondissement helps us better understand ambiguities in uses of the notion quartier. For all respondents, the quarter refers to the habitat, conviviality and liveliness in a space controlled by those who occupy it. The aforementioned producers see the quarter as a framework where a social order develops corresponding to a real “collectivity”. However “users of the city” (inhabitants, merchants, members of associations, etc.) tend to see its supply-side: they do not want to form a local group but rather to find nearby facilities, familiarity and control. They like the city and perceive the diversity of ambiences “as a show” at the risk of diminishing the city's meaning. “Processes for coproducing the city”, which imply a high degree of mutual understanding, are developing; but such differences in interpretations are rife with danger.

Urban territory. Divisions and spatializationWhat classificatory system and criteria do city-dwellers, specifically the inhabitants of the 13th arrondissement in Paris, use to divide urban space? What resources do they tap? What “landmarks” bear meaning to them? Some of the units they distinguish have an administrative or historic origin; others arise out of their knowledge of the streets. For most inhabitants, the arrondissement is a major unit of inclusion whereas the quarter is a virtual reality more appreciated for its potential than for what actually happens there.