"Poetry is a weak weapon; a laughable weapon, but it is a weapon that fuels the spirit of resistance." This is the conviction of French art historian and writer Thomas Schlesser at Pordenonelegge, presenting "The Gardener's Cat" (Longanesi).
After "The Eyes of the Mona Lisa," dedicated to visual art, Schlesser said he wanted to place at the centre what he considers "the first and most real passion of my life."
"For me, poetry is an existential experience," he explained. In the new book "poetry and reading are placed at the service of life," even as they pass through "the dark zones of humanity."
Schlesser stressed the political nature of poetry: from its very origins, he recalled, poetry has created communities and shared values, even contributing to the birth of languages, as in the case of Dante's vernacular. "It is a weapon for creating a spirit of resistance, for feeling that there are certain values one shares with others. A kind of spectre of the other." This is a function that, according to the writer, emerges with particular force in contexts of war or repression, such as in Ukraine or Iran.
For the French author, his love of poetry did not begin in the classroom — he recounted having been a poor student — but by chance, through his encounter with twentieth-century poets. Schlesser also recalled the physical relationship with verse: "When I recite a poem I do not need to make an effort to remember it word for word: it is inside me, in the flesh. Poetry is a space, and the best way to engage with it is to let it inhabit one's body and recite it aloud."
Reproduction reserved © Copyright ANSA
