'Mirabeau Bridge' by Guillaume Apollinaire
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Under Mirabeau Bridge runs the Seine
And our loves
Must I remember them
Joy came always after pain
Let arriving night explain
Days fade I remain
Arm in arm let us stay face to face
While below
The bridge at our hands passes
With eternal regards the wave so slow
Let arriving night explain
Days fade I remain
Love goes like this water flows
Love goes
Like life is slow
And like hope is violent
Let arriving night explain
Days fade I remain
The days passed and the weeks spent
Not times past
Nor loves sent return again
Under Mirabeau bridge runs the Seine
Translated by William A. Sigler
Anonymous submission.
Editor 1 Interpretation
Mirabeau Bridge: Guillaume Apollinaire's masterpiece
Are you a fan of modern poetry? Have you ever heard of Guillaume Apollinaire? If not, you're in for a treat. He was a French writer who lived in the early 20th century and is best known for his experimental poetry, which broke traditional forms and conventions. One of his most famous poems is "Mirabeau Bridge," which has been analyzed and interpreted countless times. Today, we'll take a closer look at this masterpiece and try to unravel its mysteries.
Background and context
Before diving into the poem itself, let's first talk about its context. Guillaume Apollinaire wrote "Mirabeau Bridge" in 1913, a few years before the outbreak of World War I. At the time, he was living in Paris, which was one of the most vibrant and cosmopolitan cities in Europe. The poem was part of a collection called "Alcools" (Alcohols), which was published in 1913 and is considered one of the landmarks of modern French poetry.
"Mirabeau Bridge" is a love poem, but it's not a conventional one. Instead of describing the beloved in flowery language, Apollinaire focuses on the bridge that connects two parts of Paris: the Left Bank and the Right Bank. The bridge in question is the Pont Mirabeau, which was named after Honoré Gabriel Riqueti, Comte de Mirabeau, a French statesman and orator who lived in the 18th century.
The poem
Let's now turn to the poem itself. Here's the original French text, followed by an English translation:
Sous le pont Mirabeau coule la Seine
Et nos amours
Faut-il qu'il m'en souvienne
La joie venait toujours après la peine
Vienne la nuit sonne l'heure
Les jours s'en vont je demeure
Les mains dans les mains restons face à face
Tandis que sous
Le pont de nos bras passe
Des éternels regards l'onde si lasse
Vienne la nuit sonne l'heure
Les jours s'en vont je demeure
L'amour s'en va comme cette eau courante
L'amour s'en va
Comme la vie est lente
Et comme l'Espérance est violente
Vienne la nuit sonne l'heure
Les jours s'en vont je demeure
Passent les jours et passent les semaines
Ni temps passé
Ni les amours reviennent
Sous le pont Mirabeau coule la Seine
Vienne la nuit sonne l'heure
Les jours s'en vont je demeure
Under Mirabeau bridge flows the Seine
And our loves
Must I remember them
Joy came always after pain
Come night, sound the hour
Days go by, I remain
Hands joined together
Let us stay face to face
While beneath
The bridge of our arms passes
Eternal gazes tired of the water
Come night, sound the hour
Days go by, I remain
Love goes away like this flowing water
Love goes away
How slow is life
And how violent is hope
Come night, sound the hour
Days go by, I remain
Days and weeks pass
Neither time past
Nor loves return
Under Mirabeau bridge flows the Seine
Come night, sound the hour
Days go by, I remain
Analysis and interpretation
Now that we've read the poem, let's try to make sense of it. At first glance, "Mirabeau Bridge" may seem like a simple love poem, but it's actually much more complex than that. Apollinaire uses the bridge as a metaphor for love, and the Seine as a symbol of time and eternity. The poem is structured around the refrain "Vienne la nuit sonne l'heure / Les jours s'en vont je demeure" (Come night, sound the hour / Days go by, I remain), which creates a sense of cyclical time and inevitability. The repetition of this refrain emphasizes the speaker's sense of isolation and the finality of love.
The first stanza sets the scene and introduces the theme of memory. The speaker remembers the joys and pains of love, which are linked together like the two banks of the Seine. The phrase "la joie venait toujours après la peine" (Joy came always after pain) suggests that love is a cycle of pleasure and suffering, and that the two are inseparable. The use of the word "nos" (our) in the second line implies that the speaker and the beloved shared this experience, and that it has now become a distant memory.
The second stanza repeats the refrain and introduces the theme of separation. The speaker is left alone while time passes by, and the bridge becomes a symbol of the couple's togetherness. The phrase "des éternels regards l'onde si lasse" (Eternal gazes tired of the water) suggests that the couple's love was as timeless and unchanging as the river, but also that it has become stagnant and tired.
The third stanza deepens the metaphor of the flowing water, which represents both love and life. The phrase "comme la vie est lente" (How slow is life) suggests that time is passing by slowly and inexorably, while the phrase "comme l'Espérance est violente" (How violent is hope) suggests that the speaker still clings to the hope of love, despite its fleeting nature.
The fourth stanza repeats the refrain and emphasizes the theme of loss. The speaker realizes that time and love are irreversible, and that the past can never be regained. The phrase "ni temps passé / ni les amours reviennent" (Neither time past / Nor loves return) suggests that the speaker has come to accept this fact, but also that it brings a sense of sadness and resignation.
Finally, the last stanza repeats the refrain one last time and ends the poem on a note of melancholy. The bridge and the Seine continue to flow, indifferent to the speaker's pain and memories. The use of the phrase "sous le pont Mirabeau coule la Seine" (Under Mirabeau bridge flows the Seine) at the beginning and end of the poem creates a sense of circularity and closure.
Conclusion
In conclusion, "Mirabeau Bridge" is a masterpiece of modern poetry that uses metaphor and symbolism to explore the themes of memory, time, and love. Apollinaire's use of repetition and refrain creates a sense of inevitability and finality, while the bridge and the Seine become powerful and evocative symbols of the human experience. The poem is both simple and complex, and rewards multiple readings and interpretations. If you haven't read it yet, I urge you to do so – you won't be disappointed.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Mirabeau Bridge: A Poem of Love and Loss
Guillaume Apollinaire’s poem “Mirabeau Bridge” is a classic example of modernist poetry that captures the essence of love and loss. The poem is a tribute to the Mirabeau Bridge in Paris, which spans the Seine River and connects the 15th and 16th arrondissements. The bridge is a symbol of the city’s romanticism and has been the inspiration for many artists and writers, including Apollinaire.
The poem is composed of three stanzas, each with four lines. The structure of the poem is simple, but the language is rich and evocative. The first stanza sets the scene and describes the bridge as a place of beauty and romance. The second stanza introduces the theme of loss and separation, while the third stanza brings the poem to a close with a sense of acceptance and resignation.
The poem begins with the line “Under Mirabeau Bridge flows the Seine,” which immediately sets the tone for the rest of the poem. The use of the word “flows” suggests a sense of movement and fluidity, which is a recurring theme throughout the poem. The bridge is described as “cold steel” and “moonlit,” which creates a sense of contrast between the man-made structure and the natural beauty of the river.
The second stanza introduces the theme of loss and separation, with the line “Love goes away like this river that flows.” The use of the word “away” suggests a sense of distance and separation, while the comparison to the river emphasizes the transience of love. The line “Love’s memories are like this river that flows” reinforces this theme, suggesting that memories of love are fleeting and constantly changing.
The third stanza brings the poem to a close with a sense of acceptance and resignation. The line “All love goes away like this river that flows” is repeated, emphasizing the inevitability of loss and the impermanence of love. The final line, “Life is short, but love is long,” suggests that while life may be fleeting, love endures.
The poem is rich in imagery and symbolism, with the bridge serving as a metaphor for love and the river representing the passage of time. The use of repetition and parallelism creates a sense of rhythm and continuity throughout the poem, while the simple structure and language make it accessible to a wide audience.
Overall, “Mirabeau Bridge” is a beautiful and poignant poem that captures the essence of love and loss. Apollinaire’s use of language and imagery creates a vivid and evocative picture of the bridge and the river, while the theme of transience and impermanence adds a sense of depth and complexity to the poem. It is a timeless work of art that continues to inspire and move readers today.
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