Breakfast - Jacques Prevert

 

Breakfast

He poured coffee                      

into his cup

He put milk

in his cup of coffee

He put sugar

in his cup of coffee and milk   

With his teaspoon

He stirred it

He drank the coffee and milk

and he put down the cup

Without speaking to me

He lit

a cigarette

He made rings

with the smoke                                                                

He put the ashes

in the ash-tray

without speaking to me

without looking at me

He got up

He put

His hat on his head

He put on

His raincoat

because it was raining

and he went out

in the rain

without a word

without a look.

And I, I put

My head in my hands

and wept.                     

 Jacques prevert                     

 He was a French poet and screen writer. He was born on February 4 1900 in Nouilly – Surseine.  He died on April 11, 1977 in Omonville - La- petite. His poems are often about life in Paris after Second World War. His poems are translated into many language worldwide. Prevert also wrote a number of classic screen plays for the film director Marcel. He wrote the scenarios for the Hunch back of Notre Dame (1956 film). Prevert’s poem were collected and published in his books. He participated actively in the surrealist movement.

 Summary of the poem

The poem presents a breakfast scene where the speaker says a man pouring coffee, smoking cigarette, dressing in silence and goes out without a word. He does not speak to anyone. He goes out after his breakfast. His silence and actions breaks the speaker and she buries her face in her hands with desperation.

Poetical analysis

Stanza 1                                                             

“He put the coffee           

In the cup

He put the milk”

 In the first stanza the speaker describes a breakfast scene. There in the breakfast table a man pouring coffee in a cup, adding sugar and milk and drinking his coffee when he carries out his morning breakfast, he does not speak to the speaker.

Stanza 2

“He lit

a cigarette

He made rings

with the smoke

He put the ashes

in the ash-tray

without speaking to me”

 The poet describes the each action of the man. He is smoking and making circles with the smoke. He taps the ash into the ash tray. Still he does not speak or look at the speaker. The readers could not understand the reason for this silence.

Stanza 3

“He put  

His hat on his head

He put on

His raincoat                                        

because it was raining”

 Now the speaker says that the man takes his rain coat as it is raining outside. He does not say a word. He is in silent. He is quite. He does not express himself even in this situation. No direct contact with the speaker.  It is quite confusing to the readers to see the unusual silence which makes them strangers.

“And I, I put

My head in my hands

and wept”                 

 In the final stanza the speaker puts down her hand into his hands and cries after the man has left.

This poem does not   show a direct conversation. It shows a list of silent actions of a man who is eating his breakfast in silence. It is a typical breakfast scene. But is described to create a sense of pain to the readers. All the action are done without a single conversation between the two characters. The whole poem creates a uncomfortable tension. (Throughout the poem) which brings tears to the narrator as the man finishes his breakfast and leaves.                          

The description given makes the readers to assume that is a conflict situation between a husband and wife. The narrator through is desperate makes no effort to talk to the man while he eats his breakfast.

The poem is in the nursery form then a well format poem. But narrator puts her face down and cries. The last three changes the feeling of the poem into a serious one.

Poetical Analysis

It is a simple poem with long list of silent actions. It reflects the disgusting tone of the people after a long suffering of the World War 2.  Repetition and the refrain of “he” and “without” make the poem as a traditional rhyming song.

The silent actions of the man bring out the theme of the poem. The poet conveys their separation by their silence and loneliness. The Tone is impersonal. The relationship between the man and the Woman is not described. There is no communication. Only their movement, lack of their communication suggest their quarrel or conflict. The last line “And I cried” shows the estrangement between the husband and wife. They behave as strangers but “I cried” says she feels lonely and bursts into tears. Their relationship is visible at the end.  Deeper analysis reveals the structure of each stanzas creates tensions as there are no punctuation marks in the entire poem, in every stanza forces an impossible decision about the strange behavior of the man to his wife. The simple style of the poetry is not simple in meaning.  All the feelings are hidden from the beginning but only the last line brings out the entire theme of the poem.

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