Prévert

Jacques Prévert (4 February 1900 – 11 April 1977) was a French poet and screenwriter. He is recognized as one of the most popular and influential poets of 20th-century France, known for a voice that blends lyric tenderness with social observation. Born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, he emerged from the Parisian cafe culture of the 1920s and 1930s and was associated with the Surrealist milieu, though he remained independent of formal membership.

Prévert’s poetry is notable for its clarity, directness, and use of everyday imagery. He wrote in a straightforward style that often combined humor, tenderness, and social critique, making poetry accessible to a broad audience. Paroles, published in 1946, remains his best-known collection and helped popularize poetry beyond literary circles. His poems frequently explore themes of love, memory, labor, solidarity, and human dignity, employing short lines and vivid, often playful, imagery.

In film, Prévert collaborated extensively with director Marcel Carné. He co-wrote the screenplays for Le Quai des Brumes (1938) and Les Enfants du paradis (The Children of Paradise, 1945), two landmark French films that are celebrated for their poetic sensibility and atmospheric storytelling. Beyond cinema, Prévert contributed lyrics to songs, and his work influenced generations of poets, lyricists, and readers.

Prévert’s legacy persists in school curricula, literary anthologies, and the continued reception of his cinema work. He is remembered as a voice of humane humanism and everyday wonder, whose simple language belies a broader social vision.