In 1913 Guillaume Appolinaire's "Alcools" was published. It marked a watershed in French, indeed world, literature, and is heralded by the Encyclopaedia Britannica as Appolinaire's "poetic masterpiece". The poem featured on this course, 'Hôtels', was included in this highly original, innovative and influential collection. 'Hôtels' combines traditional verse forms with truly modern imagery to great effect, and through this merits its place in this celebrated poetic collection.
The traditional element can be noted in the structure of the poem. Here is a poem of s…
