The Blueness of Light: Selected Poems: 1988–2002

Marguerite Andersen is a professor of French studies at the University
of Guelph.

The Blueness of Light is a collection of poems written over a 20-year
period by the Québécois novelist and poet Louise Dupré. The English
translation is by Antonio D’Alfonso, poet, novelist, and the publisher
of Guernica Editions.

There are gems to be found, such as this striking definition: “Joy is
not the opposite of melancholy; it is a wall of light.” Elsewhere the
poet observes that “[w]e measure the sky / against the tenuity / of
the day.”

Dupré is preoccupied with the disconnect between poetry and reality.
“Poetry can never replace reality,” she regretfully states, adding
that poetry can flourish only when the author stops “being the
obedient student.” Yet, even a poet lives in daily reality and is
assailed by real illnesses.

There are occasional typos in the collection, and the numbering of the
poems is somewhat confusing. But these are minor quibbles about a book
that brings together two considerable talents.