Chapter Eleven They Spoke of Poetry too! Denise having heard that narration was moved to tears. Hence Claude guided the conversation to another topic. He moved forward to the poetic ground Which he thought includes much more charm to brighten Denise up. And he was right! For beyond the fact that Denise cordially appreciated beautiful verses, She practiced poetry too And delighted so much in reading her own lines! Madam, would you mind discussing a literary issue with me? » Claude asked. ?Not at all,? Denise replied. Whether a poet belongs to our era or had existed long ago,? Claude said, ?What real interest there is in studying his verses? Would it be just for our entertainment only That they teach us about a poet like Baudelaire or like Lafontaine? Many have answered these beautiful questions in different ways.' Denise said. ?As for me, I have found in poetry a good friend.

For like music, it cheers me up. Really, through a poem I may find a good message to remind me That we all have similar feelings and go through hardships Across which we were supposed to become wise! In fact, who has sung the bitterness of love? Whom our disappointments sadden at first? Who has particularly felt bad when a disaster ravages a beautiful landscape? Whom this beautiful universe, the work of the one true God, Puts into ecstasy when he wakes up And that the firmament spreads its wonders in front of him And tells him, '' be happy, my child? This state of mind belongs to the poet, who regardless of his literary preference, Strives to create a work for all, For all those who someday will recognize themselves throughout his own pages! For example, there is nothing unreal in the love which von Goethe, The Frankfurt poet, celebrated when telling his sweetheart What transport brings him by many nights to her angelic face! Nor is there something esoteric In the ineffable love which Shakespeare depicts! We will meet I think A Juliet and a Romeo everywhere As long as people are burning of an erotic flame! Choose whomever you want Among the literary names which instill in readers sorrow, or happiness! Pick up joyful Hermione or weeping Andromache, You''ll realize that each one has character traits which are similar to ours. The ardent passion igniting the poets in any languages Has its equivalent in all societies Where any love poet I think will feel appropriate To celebrate his romantic conquests and grieve his defeat! Hence I feel relieved to know that through the space and the time, A poet is someone who seeks a confidant for his sorrow. And this is what I think Ovid in his Roman century did in his love poem Where he portrays his attractive wife Corinne as an unfaithful woman, A jealous, a fickle, and a greedy wife! When a bard talks so about his own problems Or tells us how great his suffering was, He will find certainly other writers to make the same confession as he. Because over time it is the same experience Bringing hearts to break their silence by raising their voices of singers of love! Therefore who does not know about the betrayed poets? Or those who have sung in many gloomy verses A love devoid of sunlight and roses, a hopeless and a misunderstood one! However, If I single the grief of the poets out, It does not follow that I ignore their elation! Since their existence includes charms as well And that their desperation sometimes gives way to celebration! Thus with reading verses I have realized that we are nearly the same everywhere! And that poetry offers the jovial one and the sad one as well the same opportunities To let speak their mind for the sake of whoever wants to hear them! However, I think that poetry goes beyond the tears and the laughter Of an emotional-human being. I think that a good poetry should also come out of the writer's heart And scan his society of which facts and realities it should reflect, No matter what the features of that social body are: Piety, paganism, virtue, crime and so on! And this is what distinguishes one poet from another: The social context to which he belongs, And also the creed of the group he follows, While his feeling remains the same as ours! » ?Absolutely, Madam, I share your opinion'. Claude continued. I agree with the viewpoint that poetry should mirror people's social environment.

To back up this opinion, We just need to see how Horace the Latin poet, talked of his Roman city. In his Odes, he shows ancient- Roman ladies leading a lustful life; He describes a Roman smiling and lively nature. He sings out the falling night and the rising day in Rome! He says how from dawn to dusk, the dwellers of the Roman city, full of urbanity Go their ways admiring beautiful gardens and green groves! In Horace's verses the Romans citizen are proud of their heroic feats, And of the wars having blown out anywhere in the imperial territory, Wars which they always won from spring to winter, Both the Gallic conflicts and the Punic wars! Horace shows a Roman city moving with people going back and forth And craving for erotic love and feminine grace! He presents the Epicureans enchanted by attractive and elegant women Who appealed to the wealthy ones seeking enjoyment at any price! He says what happened nightly at the doorway of promiscuous woman And shows the anxious womanizers lining up in front of her house Where they would stay very late far away from their families!.