What was Benjamin Fondane’s interest for astronomy?

Benjamin Fondane was a Romanian and French poet, critic, philosopher, and film-maker, who
was a prominent figure in Jewish existentialism and a disciple of Lev Shestov. He was born in
Iași, Romania, in 1898, and moved to Paris in 1923, where he became involved with the
Surrealist movement. He was arrested by the Nazis in 1944 and deported to Auschwitz, where he
was killed1.
Fondane’s interest for astronomy was related to his existentialist philosophy, which questioned
the limits of reason and the role of poetry. Fondane was fascinated by the mystery and immensity
of the cosmos, which he saw as a challenge to the rationalist and scientific worldview. He wrote
several poems and essays that explored the themes of astronomy, such as “The Starry Sky”, “The
Infinite”, “The Milky Way”, “The Sun”, “The Moon”, “The Planets”, “The Comets”, and “The
Eclipse”. In these works, he expressed his awe and wonder at the cosmic spectacle, but also his
sense of loneliness and despair at the human condition. He also criticized the modern tendency to
reduce the universe to a mathematical formula or a mechanical system, and argued for a poetic
vision that could restore the mystery and beauty of creation23.
Fondane’s interest for astronomy also influenced his film-making. He collaborated with Dimitri
Kirsanoff on the film Rapt (1934), which tells the story of a peasant who is torn between his love
for a city woman and his loyalty to his village. The film features several shots of the night sky,
which contrast with the dark and oppressive atmosphere of the rural setting. Fondane also
directed his own film, Tararira (1936), which was shot in Argentina and is now lost. The film
was inspired by a poem by Leopoldo Lugones, which describes a mythical fish that can devour
the stars. The film was an allegory of the human condition, which Fondane saw as a struggle
between the poetic imagination and the rational intellect .
Learn more:
1. en.wikipedia.org2. theguardian.com3. poetryfoundation.org

What was the relationship between Anatole France and Benjamin Fondane?

Anatole France and Benjamin Fondane were friends and correspondents. Anatole France was a
French writer, critic and Nobel laureate, who was admired by Fondane for his literary style and
humanism. Fondane was a Romanian-French poet, philosopher and filmmaker, who was
influenced by France’s works and translated some of them into Romanian12.
Fondane met France in Paris in 1924, and they exchanged letters until France’s death in
1924. Fondane dedicated his first book in French, Exercice de français, to France, and wrote an
essay on him, Anatole France et la poésie, in 192612. Fondane also wrote a poem about France’s
death, La Mort d’Anatole France, which was published posthumously in 19473.

What are some sources regarding Benjamin Fondane’s astronomical poems?

Benjamin Fondane’s astronomical poems are part of his poetic works, which include several
collections and cycles, such as Priveliști (Landscapes, 1916), Imagini și că rți din Franța (Images
and Books from France, 1928), Ulysse (1933), L’Exode (1939), and Le Mal des fantômes (The
Evil of Ghosts, 1946). Some of his poems were published in literary magazines, such as
Contimporanul, Sbură torul, Bilete de papagal, Cahiers du Sud, and Mesures. Some of his poems
were also translated into other languages, such as English, German, Spanish, and Hebrew12.
Some of the sources where you can find Fondane’s astronomical poems are:

 The Poetry Foundation website1, which has a brief biography of Fondane and some of his
poems in English translation, including “The Starry Sky”, “The Infinite”, “The Milky
Way”, and “The Sun”.
 The Benjamin Fondane papers3, which are held at the Beinecke Rare Book and
Manuscript Library at Yale University. The papers contain holograph manuscripts of
approximately 650 poems, 55 works of prose and 9 playscripts. Among the poems, there
are several that deal with astronomical themes, such as “The Moon”, “The Planets”, “The
Comets”, and “The Eclipse”.
 The book Speaking from the ruins: Benjamin Fondane’s irresigned poetics2, which is a
PhD thesis by Andrew Rubens that offers a comprehensive analysis of Fondane’s poetry
and philosophy. The thesis includes a translation (in collaboration with Henry King) of
Fondane’s major poetic sequence L’Exode: Super Flumina Babylonis, which contains
several references to the night sky and the stars.

Did Anatole France create a character named Bergeut, or anything similar?

Yes, Anatole France created a character named Bergeut in his novel Penguin Island (L’Île des
Pingouins), published in 1908. Bergeut is a fictional writer who is admired by the narrator of the novel,
who is also named Anatole France. Bergeut is widely believed to be a parody of the real writer Maurice
Barrès, whom France disliked for his nationalist and anti-Semitic views 12. Bergeut appears in several
chapters of the novel, where he is depicted as a pompous and hypocritical author who writes patriotic and
sentimental novels about the history of Penguinia (the fictional island that represents France). Bergeut
also plays a role in the Dreyfus affair, where he supports the anti-Dreyfusards and accuses the narrator of
being a traitor for defending Dreyfus12.

What is the relationship between Benjamin Fondane and Hâ rța?

Benjamin Fundoianu and Hârța are related by the fact that Hârța is the title of one of
Fundoianu’s poems, published in his collection Priveliști (Views) in 1930. The poem is a
nostalgic and lyrical evocation of the village of Hârța, located in the Dorohoi county, where
Fundoianu’s grandfather had been a tenant farmer. The poem describes the pastoral scenery, the
daily life of the peasants, the animals, the seasons, and the religious traditions of Hârța, as well
as the poet’s childhood memories and his longing for his homeland12. The poem is divided into
five parts, each with a different rhyme scheme and tone. The first part is an introduction that sets
the scene and the mood of the poem. The second part is a description of the village and its
inhabitants, with a focus on their simple and honest virtues. The third part is a depiction of the
springtime and its joys, such as the blossoming of flowers, the singing of birds, and the
celebration of Easter. The fourth part is a contrast between the summer and the winter, showing
how the villagers cope with the heat and the cold, and how they preserve their faith and
hope. The fifth part is a conclusion that expresses the poet’s nostalgia for Hârța and his gratitude
for his roots12.
Learn more:
1. monden.ro2. textbase.scriptorium.ro3. goodreads.com