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« The Poet’s Work, Yoga of Writing » AN INTERVIEW WITH PIERRE BONNASSE
Pierre
Bonnasse 1
– In the poem, you mention, in a more
or less explicit way, other authors. What influence have they had on
your artistic shaping? How does intertextuality fit into your poetic
production? Firstly, intertextuality works like a paper chase (I’d even say a «Grand Game»), offering to the reader different degrees of interpretation. Above all, it opens pathways, track roads, sometimes even “narrow” doors. It allows for the reader to discover, approach and probably understand other texts and authors and could truly create new resonances and perspectives, through a game of filiations and connections, about my texts as well as those of others. A brotherly relationship building bridges over disparities, the possibility of footbridges between different worlds with the unique strength of words. By connecting people, authors and readers, intertextuality plays a crucial role, an essential rôle – it affirms links between the “essences”, between the innermost parts of each human being. I have
written several portrayals and “poem-papers” dedicated to other
authors, like René Daumal and André Velter, with whom I feel an
incredible closeness, and who have, each in his own way, a big
influence on my work and on my life, occasioning choices with the
force of their phrasing, their beings and their melodies. While we are
on the subject, this year, we celebrate
René Daumal’s birth
centenary (1908-2008) and many of us "brothers" will be
there in his honour. «
Faces, bodies, portrayals, poets and journeys,
2 – Moreover, in the
text, you hint at Oriental spirituality. How important is mysticism in
your literary production? How can a poet initiate the reader into
appreciating aparticular conception of the world, through his work? In my writings, there are several references to Western spirituality, but in reality, this “mysticism” (in the true sense of the word, Daumal would rightly say, "practical") is rooted and located at the crossroads of equally Eastern and Western traditions. One completes the other. This singular aspect of my work has been highlighted several times, especially by Jean-Luc Maxence in the article "Pierre Bonnasse, a burning seeker" (“Pierre Bonnasse, en quêteur passionné”, La Chaîne d’Union n°36, spring 2006) and in Anthologie de la poésie maçonnique et symbolique (Dervy, 2008), where he writes about “Freemaconic inspiration”. Why not … yet again, he does not fail to highlight the close connection that exists with the author of the Mont Analogue. As for the “initiation of the reader into appreciating a conception of the world” (it would be preferable to talk about “perception” in so much as “veritable vision” is an interdependent act above all worldly concepts and ideas), everything dwells in the power of the word, which is in turn inextricably linked to "being quality" of the talker. I have developed this in my book The Magic Language of the Fourth Way, Awakening the Power of the Word (Inner Traditions, 2008). Language must be a language of power, language which kindles the reader. As René Barjavel said, language must be “a grain and not a soap bubble” … Poetry is resolutely an initiatory path, an awakening of the consciousness and above all, an awakening of Self-Consciousness. Because we are the only book of which we can learn all and understand all. Consequently, the poet must create himself before claiming to create anything else. We are human works art who should strive towards the truth and not slumber. And because the poet must embody his language, maybe we can say that the latter exerts a double influence, like a two-way movement within and outside. There are always multiple influences and different qualities of energy, just like there are always several movements, and even another movement behind each movement ; and this is true in the case of All and everything, from the tiniest action to infinity …
Writing poetry is not like having a career, but a “state of being”; I could even say that it isn’t a “state” but and “act”, because once again, it is like an awakening. It is also a “calling”: a calling of the being, of the consciousness, of the truth … which finally means that it is a calling to oneself, an enticement to get closer to what Zen Buddhists call the “original self”. Evidently,
the next step is choosing the words in order to create the most
powerful resonance. Sometimes, words “are chosen” for us. They
compellingly “impose themselves”. Having said this, it’s very
difficult to convey a feeling or an emotion, sometimes even an idea.
And however, total comprehension requires generosity of all three of
these components and they have to operate together. This is hard work
and the effort one puts in is not negotiable. I have talked about this
in my book The Magic Language of the Fourth Way, Awakening the
power of the word (to be published in August 2008), in which I
evoke Roman Jakobson’s general schema of communication. I have added
what I’d like to call the “Initiatory Function” to the original
model, which conclusively allows for the real understanding between
two beings. Because, without what Daumal calls “the common
experience of what is being talked about”, there is no sharing, not
in the case of essential things …
4 – From the writing
point of view, how do you work on the material (language, sounds,
graphics, page setting, blanks …)? What research do you do? I render myself “available” in order to receive. Some would say “inspiration”. Maybe, and it makes no difference. Receiving “raw material” at first, then working on it continuously; in other words, transforming it, refining it. “Give me mud and I’ll make gold of it” wrote Baudelaire. In fact, I believe that the creative process must participate in the alchemical process, transforming coarse material into something elusive. This is true for substance, energy or a poem. It’s like carving a diamond. A little
“something” can emerge from the silence of the being, a “central
emotion”: this is what it’s all about. At first, silence, creating
an inner silence, in order to open oneself, to render oneself
permeable. A preamble to this is clearing one’s mind of everything
we think we know and releasing all forms of tension (physical, mental
…). This deconditionning is necessary for the silence, then for the
awakening of the word. From this silence, born from the subtle link
between the mind and the body, can arise an emotion of a different
quality. It is only later that thought intervenes, in order to
“habit” this emotion with images and words. And as I said before,
only then comes the rhythm and the movement which give life to this
material. The next step consists in combining the sound and the
meaning, creating significant resonances. Word has power and style
renders it more captivating … the melody defines the Union. If you
want to stick to Hindu poetic language, you need to work on the
adornment and the alliterations, which are fundamental in poetry, and
you need to work on rhyme, metaphors … etc, on the structure and
form. «
I do not look for systematic alliteration (Happy Hooker’s Hand, Eoliennes Editions, 2006)
Alliteration is fundamental in poetry, as far as I am concerned, because it creates musicality and gives a certain rhythm, it awards specific vibrations to poetry, which can act upon the one who reads or hears it. Then comes the part where I rectify my errors, I’m done carving the diamond. Finally, the “Savor” can be tasted by someone else, it can be “conveyed”, and it can penetrate beings … Sometimes. Actually, when you look closely enough, the creative process is symbolically similar to a musical octave. Taking into account, as it is portrayed in The Emerald Table, “What is at the top is like what is at the bottom.” Thank you. Interview
extracted from the Master « Tradurre
poesia: traduzione dell'opera Dans la nuit d'Aghtamar di Pierre
Bonnasse, Éditions Éoliennes, Paris, 2007», University
of Cassino, Italy, 2008.
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