Elementary Morality
The Elementary Morality (Morale Élémentaire) is a fixed form of poetry created by Raymond Queneau, first appearing in the last book he published before his death Morale Élémentaire. The name was later applied to the form, from the title of that book, by the members of the Oulipo.
He defines the form as follows:
“Il s’agit de poemes a forme fixe. D’abord trois fois trois plus un groupe substantif, plus adjectif (ou participe) avec quelques repetitions, rimes, alliterations, echos ad libitum; puis une sorte d’interlude de sept vers de une a cinq syllabes; enfin une conclusion de trois plus un groupe substantif, plus adjectif (ou participe) reprenant plus ou moins quelques-uns des vingt-quatre mots utilises dans la premier partie.” (Quoted in Atlas de litterature potentiale, 249)
["It's a matter of fixed form poems. First, three times three plus one phrases of substantive plus adjective (or participle) with some repetitions, rhymes, alliteration, echos, ad lib; then a kind of interlude of seven lines of one to five syllables; finally a conclusion of three plus one phrases of substantive plus adjectif (or participle) taking up more or less some of the twenty-four words used in the first part." (my translation)]
It is a fairly simple form with a certain list-like quality to it. Examples are scarce in English (see the references below).
Variations can include: substituting other types of phrases for the substantive-adjective, such as substantive-verb or substantive-adverb-adjective (actually in English it’s more likely adjective-substantive); applying other constraints such as the lipogram, anagrams, etc.; using a pre-determined language set (see below on Fournel); others as yet undiscovered.
Paul Fournal in his “Elementaire moral” writes examples of the form using language from Queneau’s books. He draws the words from the seven pages surrounding page 73 of each book because seven was a key number for Queneau and 73 was his age at his death.
[Examples to follow (once I figure out how to get the format right).]
References:
Oulipo Compendium. A few English examples are found here: 67, 93, 94 (a quite interesting one by Mathews with repeated words as both noun and adjective (i.e. “minute minute” “august August”)), 140.
Roubaud, Jacques. “The Birth of a Form: Elementary Morality.” Trans. Mary Campbell-Sposito. Review of Contemporary Fiction 17.3 (Fall 1997): 85-98 (the Queneau issue). Roubaud’s essay on the origin of the form, its name, a few examples, and other commentary. The best English language explanation.
Queneau, Raymond. Morale élémentaire. Paris: Gallimard, 1975. The original appearance of the form.
Fournel, Paul. “Elementaire moral.” Bibliotheque Oulipienne no. 8. Reprinted in Bibliotheque Oulipienne Volume 1. Paris: Editions Ramsay, 1987. 139-64.
Oulipo. Autres morales élémentaires (1992). Bibliotheque Oulipienne no. 55. Reprinted in Bibliotheque Oulipienne Volume 4. Paris: Castor Astral, 1997. A collection of elementary moralities by various members of the Oulipo, often using other constraints in conjunction with the form itself.
Tags: Constraint, poetry
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