Monday, May 21, 2007
Ponchon's Absinthe poetry.
From the annals of the ever interesting Virtual Absinthe Museum, comes an interesting overview of Raoul Ponchon and his interest in Absinthe...
By far the most prolific of all absinthe-influenced poets was Raoul
Ponchon (1848 - 1937). Originally a bank employee, he quit his job
after his father's death in 1871, and set himself up at the age of 23
in a garret with the words "Painter and Lyrical Poet" written on the
door. He would take his breakfast in the Café de Cluny, then return
at 5pm for L'Heure Verte. The rest of the day he spent holding court
at various other cafés. Ponchon was astonishingly prolific, writing
150 000 verses, of which over 7000 were about food and drink,
including many dealing specifically with absinthe.
