Amicale

This year we are celebrating the 200th anniversary of the "prince of poets", Charles Baudelaire, born on 9 April 1821.

What makes a poem touch us, even upset us? More than its artistic quality, it is its sincerity, its human value, its authenticity. As Stefan Zweig wrote in a letter to the Swedish feminist writer Ellen Key in 1907: "The praise I receive from all sides for my poems is repugnant to me inwardly, because their artistic quality is always praised; few people feel the connection to my inner experience.

In these times of health constraints and economic and social uncertainty, poetry is more than ever indispensable to brighten our lives. This is why, on the occasion of the 2021 edition of the "Printemps des Poètes" which will take place from Saturday 13 March to Monday 29 March 2021 (see link below), l'Amicale invites you to share a poem you love.

Edition 2021 - Le Printemps des Poètes (printempsdespoetes.com)

Whether they are sprung from your own pen or picked from the cultural heritage of your country, we would like to compose, from these poems, a multilingual "spring bouquet" that will make the rose bloom instead of the gloomy one!

To participate: send us your poem until March 12 at amicale@coe.int.