Nathalia Crane at twelve

Nathalia Crane
Nathalia Crane (c.1925)

In 1925, Nathalia Crane published her second volume of poetry, Lava Lane, and Other Poems, just one year after her first one, The Janitor’s boy, and Other Poems. In it she airs her sophistication, mastering poetical language, as well as scientific and technical vocabulary from several disciplines, such as botany, geology and even embryology (using the word “blastoderm” about a boy she seems to despise); she also refers to various religions and to characters from Greek mythology. Furthermore, she shows her understanding of human relations, including in some of their intimate aspects. CONTINUE READING / CONTINUER LA LECTURE…

Jealousy, by Nathalia Crane

Keystone/Getty Images - Chinese schoolchildren
Keystone/Getty Images – Chinese schoolchildren give a demonstration of their military skills in Hanking, where lessons include pre-military exercises using wooden weapons (April 1, 1974)

In this humorous little piece, Nathalia imagines organising a brigade of little girls in charge of watching their fathers and preventing their seduction by beautiful young women. Here Flatbush is a neighbourhood of Brooklyn in New York City. CONTINUE READING / CONTINUER LA LECTURE…

Chanson de grand-père, par Victor Hugo

Arthur B. Davies - Dancing Children
Arthur B. Davies – Dancing Children (1902)

Victor Hugo, né le 26 février 1802 à Besançon et mort le 22 mai 1885 à Paris, est considéré comme l’un des plus importants écrivains de langue française. Suite à la mort de Charles Hugo, un de ses fils, et de son épouse, Victor Hugo prit en charge leurs deux enfants Georges et Jeanne Hugo. Son recueil de poésie L’art d’être grand-père (1877) est principalement consacré à ses deux petits-enfants, mais plus généralement traite avec beaucoup de tendresse du charme et de la spontanéité de l’enfance. En des phrases courtes et simples, le poème “Chanson de grand-père” exalte la beauté et la séduction de petites filles en train de danser, ce sont des “petites femmes.” CONTINUE READING / CONTINUER LA LECTURE…