Robert Desnos (July 4, 1900 - June 8, 1945) was a French surrealist poet. Surrealism is an artistic movement and an aesthetic philosophy that aims for the liberation of the mind by emphasizing the critical and imaginative powers of the subconscious. ...

Born in Paris, Robert Desnos’ poems were first published in 1917 in La Tribune des Jeunes and in 1919 in the avant-garde review, Le Trait d’union. That same year, he met the poet Benjamin Péret who introduced him to the Dada group in Paris and André Breton. While working as a literary columnist for the newspaper Paris-Soir, Desnos became an active member of the Surrealist group and developed a particular talent for the “automatic writing” procedures. Although praised by Breton in his 1924 Manifesto du Surréalisme as being the movement’s "prophet", Desnos’ continuous work for journalistic publications and his disbelief in Surrealism’s involvement with communist politics, caused a rift between the two men. Benjamin Péret (1899-1959) was a French poet and Surrealist. ... Cover of the first edition of the publication, Dada. ... André Breton (February 18, 1896 – September 28, 1966) was a French writer, poet, and surrealist theorist. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

In 1926, he composed "The Night of Loveless Nights", a lyric poem about solitude, curiously written in quatrains like classics, more similar to Baudelaire than Breton. He fell in love with the singer Yvonne George, but the crowds of fans also obsessed with her ensured that his love was impossible. He wrote several poems for her including those in his collection La liberté ou l'amour! (1927). Charles Baudelaire Charles Pierre Baudelaire (April 9, 1821–August 31, 1867) was one of the most influential French poets. ...

By 1929, Breton had definitively condemned Desnos, who in turn had joined Georges Bataille and Documents as one of the authors to sign "Un Cadavre" attacking “le boeuf Breton”. He wrote articles on “Modern Imagery”, “Avant-garde Cinema” (1929, issue 7), “Pygmalion and the Sphinx” (1930, issue 1), and Sergei M. Eisenstein, the soviet filmmaker, on his film titled The General Line (1930, issue 4). His career in radio began in 1932 with a show dedicated to Fantomas. During this time, he became friends with Picasso, Hemingway, Artaud and John Dos Passos, published many critical reviews on jazz and cinema and became increasingly involved in politics. George Bataille Georges Bataille (September 16, 1897 – July 9, 1962) was a French writer, anthropologist and philosopher, though he avoided this last term himself. ... A document is a writing that contains information. ... Sergei Mikhailovich Eisenstein (Russian: Сергей Михайлович Эйзенштейн) (January 23, 1898–February 11, 1948) was a Russian director noted for his films Battleship Potemkin and Oktober, both based loosely on a true story and presented in a realistic fashion, causing an immeasurable influence on early documentary directors owing to his innovative... A young Pablo Picasso Pablo Picasso, formally Pablo Ruiz Picasso, (October 25, 1881 - April 8, 1973) was one of the recognized masters of 20th century art. ... Hemingway is the family name of Ernest Hemingway, American writer (1899 – 1961) Margaux Hemingway, American actress (1955 – 1996) Mariel Hemingway, American actress (born 1961) [[George Hemingway}}, American businessman (born 1947) This is a disambiguation page—a list of articles associated with the same title. ... Antonin Artaud (September 4, 1896–March 4, 1948) was a playwright, actor, and director. ... John Rodrigo Dos Passos (January 14, 1896 — September 28, 1970) was an important American novelist and artist. ...

During World War II, Desnos was an active member of the French Résistance, often publishing under pseudonyms, and was arrested by the Gestapo on February 22, 1944. He was first deported to Auschwitz, then Buchenwald, Flossenburg and finally to Térézin (Theresienstadt) in Czechoslovakia in 1945, where he died from typhoid, only weeks after the camp’s liberation. An illustrious French poet, Robert Desnos wrote for many reviews, including Littérature, La Révolution surréaliste, and Variétés. Among numerous collections of poems, he also published three novels, Deuil pour deuil (1924), La Liberté ou l’amour! (1927), and Le vin est tiré (1943). Combatants Allies: Soviet Union United States United Kingdom France and others Axis Powers: Germany Japan Italy and others Casualties Military dead: 17 million Civilian dead: 33 million Total dead: 50 million Military dead: 8 million Civilian dead: 4 million Total dead: 12 million World War II, also known as the... The Deaths Head emblem similar to Skull and crossbones, often used as the insignia of the Gestapo The (contraction of Geheime Staatspolizei; secret state police) was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. ... Auschwitz, in English, commonly refers to the Auschwitz concentration camp complex built near the town of Oświęcim, by Nazi Germany during World War II. Rarely, it may refer to the Polish town of Oświęcim (called by the Germans Auschwitz) itself. ... Slave laborers in the Buchenwald concentration camp (Elie Wiesel is second row, seventh from left). ... Flossenbürg concentration camp was a German prison built in 1938 at Flossenbürg, in the Oberpfalz region of Bavaria. ... Fortress plan, 1869 Terezín (German: Theresienstadt) is name of former military fortress and garrison town in Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. ... This is about the disease typhoid fever. ...

He was married to Youki Desnos, formerly Foujita. One of his most famous poems is "Letter to Youki," written after his arrest.

He is buried at the Montparnasse cemetery in Paris. The Cimetière du Montparnasse is a famous cemetery in the Montparnasse quarter of Paris, France. ...

Desnos's poetry has been set to music by a number of composers, including Witold Lutosławski with Les Espaces du Sommeil (1975) and Chantefleurs et Chantefables (1991) and Francis Poulenc (Dernier poème, 1956). Carolyn Forché has translated his poetry and names Desnos as a significant influence on her own work. Witold LutosÅ‚awski at his home. ... Francis Jean Marcel Poulenc (January 7, 1899 - January 30, 1963) was a French composer. ... Carolyn Forché is an American poet and human rights advocate. ...

Works include

• Deuil pour deuil (1924)
• La Liberté ou l’amour! (1927)
• Corps et biens (1930)
• État de veille (1943)
• Le vin est tiré (1943)

External links

• Robert Desnos Website