UNITÉ 2: L'ÉCRITURE CRÉATIVEThere are two main objectives to this unit of study:
1) To introduce our students to new styles of writing as inspired by the great French surrealist writers of the early 20th century. 2) To use the unit to consolidate students' writing skills and understanding of the three verb tenses introduced so far; le passé composé, le présent et le futur proche. Please read on for more information on the types of surrealist writing we have been experimenting with in class! |
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LE CADAVRE EXQUISOne of the writing styles we will be using was inspired by the surrealist game "le cadavre exquis". Surrealist writers and artists such as André Bréton, Salvador Dali and Pablo Picasso used this activity to inspire their art.
It involves a group of artists working on part of a story or drawing before handing to another artist who will complete the next part with only the most recent section of the drawing or story visible, leading to some "surreal" products. Students have completed this activity in class using a mix of the written and drawing forms of the game for a total of 3 written stories, one for each verb tense studied to date. |
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LES CALIGRAMMESUn caligramme is a text type invented by French surrealist writer Guillaume Apollinaire. Essentially, it combines poetry with visual art andreuires the artist to write a poem in the shape of the poem's subject.
In class, students have been asked to do the same by writing French poems of at least 80 words in length using all of the verb tenses studied so far in class. |
LES LIPOGRAMMES
Un lipogramme is type of text whereby the artist forbids themselves from using a certain letter or word. Perhaps the most famous lipogramme ever written was by Georges Perec. Georges Perec wrote La Disparition, a 300 page novel, without using the letter 'e', which is a remarkable feat in French.
Students were asked to choose a letter or word to exclude from their writing that would force them to change the way they wrote and explore different ways of saying things in French. Students were asked to write a lipogramme of at least 80 words using all three verb tenses studied in class so far.
Students were asked to choose a letter or word to exclude from their writing that would force them to change the way they wrote and explore different ways of saying things in French. Students were asked to write a lipogramme of at least 80 words using all three verb tenses studied in class so far.
LES TAUTOGRAMMES
A tautogramme is in many ways the opposite of a lipogramme. A tautogramme asks its writer to use only words starting with a particular letter. Students were asked to use as many words, verbs and expressions that started with their chosen letter as possible in a text of 80 words that also used the three verb tenses studied in class to date.
A famous example of a Tautogramme comes in Féodor Atkine's "V pour Vendetta":
« Voilà ! Vois en moi l'image d'un humble vétéran de vaudeville, distribué vicieusement dans les rôles de victime et de vilain par lesvicissitudes de la vie. Ce visage, plus qu'un vil vernis de vanité, est un vestige de la vox populi aujourd'hui vacante, évanouie. Cependant, cette vaillante visite d'une vexation passée se retrouve vivifiée et a fait vœu de vaincre cette vénale et virulentevermine vantant le vice et versant dans la vicieusement violente et vorace violation de la volition. Un seul verdict : la vengeance. Une vendetta telle une offrande votive mais pas en vain car sa valeur et sa véracité viendront un jour faire valoir le vigilant et levertueux. En vérité ce velouté de verbiage vire vraiment au verbeux, alors laisse-moi simplement ajouter que c'est un véritable honneur que de te rencontrer. Appelle-moi V. »
A famous example of a Tautogramme comes in Féodor Atkine's "V pour Vendetta":
« Voilà ! Vois en moi l'image d'un humble vétéran de vaudeville, distribué vicieusement dans les rôles de victime et de vilain par lesvicissitudes de la vie. Ce visage, plus qu'un vil vernis de vanité, est un vestige de la vox populi aujourd'hui vacante, évanouie. Cependant, cette vaillante visite d'une vexation passée se retrouve vivifiée et a fait vœu de vaincre cette vénale et virulentevermine vantant le vice et versant dans la vicieusement violente et vorace violation de la volition. Un seul verdict : la vengeance. Une vendetta telle une offrande votive mais pas en vain car sa valeur et sa véracité viendront un jour faire valoir le vigilant et levertueux. En vérité ce velouté de verbiage vire vraiment au verbeux, alors laisse-moi simplement ajouter que c'est un véritable honneur que de te rencontrer. Appelle-moi V. »