Dictee

The chapter begins with a photo of protestors. The text beside the photo refers to “diseuse de bonne aventure,” which translates to “fortune-teller” in English, and a desire for the prophetess to break the spell “cast upon time” (123). Three poems follow. The first of the three poems is a lyrical poem titled “Aller/Retour,” which translates to “Go/Return.” The passage of a day is described and the poet speaks of being suspended between the two states of night and day, a liminal state that is between borders. The poem then describes various types of materials, some that are opaque and some that are transparent, some that are soft and yielding and others that are hard and brittle. It mentions the bridal veil and the nun’s veil in French—“Voile de mariée. Voile de religieuse” (127).

The next lyric poem is titled “Aller,” or “Go,” and it describes memories vanishing. After the memories seem to have been completely extinguished and made “formless” and “numb” (128), they are resurrected “bit by bit” (129). The poem then discusses the relationship of speaking and language to memories, stating that the words fill in something new that begins to germinate in the place of the void created by silence.