Guillaume Apollinaire: Eroticism and War in the Life of a French Poet
Guillaume Apollinaire, originally named Wilhelm Albert Włodzimierz Apollinaris de Wąż-Kostrowicky, passed away at the age of 38 on November 9, 1918, in Paris. He was born in Rome on August 26, 1880, to a Polish mother and a Swiss father, relocating to France during his childhood. By the age of ten, he was composing alexandrine poetry and exploring prohibited literature. His influence extended to artists such as Braque and Marinetti, and he collaborated with various magazines while forming a friendship with Picasso. Although his 1911 work "Le Bestiarie" did not achieve success, he released "Alcool" in 1913 and met Louise de Coligny-Chatillon in 1914. After being injured in WWI, he published "Calligrammi" in April 1918. He succumbed to Spanish flu, discovered by Ungaretti.
Key facts
- Guillaume Apollinaire died in Paris on November 9, 1918, at age 38.
- Born in Rome on August 26, 1880, to a Swiss officer father and Polish noblewoman mother.
- His poetry was influenced by Futurism and Cubism.
- He was friends with Braque, Ungaretti, Marinetti, Picasso, and Max Jacob.
- His erotic works were inspired by Boccaccio's Decameron and Marquis de Sade's novels.
- He published 'Alcool' in 1913 and 'Calligrammi' in April 1918.
- He volunteered for World War I and was seriously wounded, undergoing head surgery in 1916.
- He died of the Spanish flu, found by Ungaretti who came to announce the war's end.
Entities
Artists
- Guillaume Apollinaire
- Pablo Picasso
- Max Jacob
- Louise de Coligny-Chatillon
- Marquis de Sade
- Giovanni Boccaccio
- Georges Braque
- Giuseppe Ungaretti
- Filippo Tommaso Marinetti
Locations
- Paris
- France
- Rome
- Italy