‘In the end you’re tired of this antiquated world’Guillaume Apollinaire (1880-1918) is the most significant French poet of early modernism, and the most colourful. His exuberant, adventurous poetry matched the eventful times through which he lived, and his experimentalism heralded a new artistic order. In the Paris of the belle epoque, Apollinaire’s prolific writing — poems, short stories, erotic novels, art criticism — as well as his magnetic personality brought him fame and even some notoriety. His two great collections of poetry, Alcools and Calligrammes, made his reputation, and they include love poems as well as the war poetry for which he is best known. Apollinaire coined the word ‘surrealism’, and he led the literary and artistic avant-garde right up to his death two days before the Armistice, weakened by injuries received earlier in the War. This new selection by Martin Sorrell covers the full range of Apollinaire’s career, and includes some of the poet’s inventive pictorial calligrams. The introduction and notes explore his seminal role in the culture of the twentieth century. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World’s Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford’s commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.