The lunatic, the lover and the poet

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Poème original

The lunatic, the lover and the poet Are of imagination all compact: One sees more devils than vast hell can hold, 10 That is, the madman: the lover, all as frantic, Sees Helen's beauty in a brow of Egypt: The poet's eye, in fine frenzy rolling, Doth glance from heaven to earth, from earth to heaven; And as imagination bodies forth 15 The forms of things unknown, the poet's pen Turns them to shapes and gives to airy nothing A local habitation and a name.

Traduction

The crazy person, the lover, and the poet Are all full of imagination: The madman sees more devils than hell can hold, The lover, just as wild, Sees Helen's beauty in an Egyptian face: The poet's eye, in wild excitement, Looks from heaven to earth, and back again; As imagination gives shape To unknown things, the poet's pen Turns them into forms and gives to nothing A place and a name.

Explication

In this passage from 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', Shakespeare explores the theme of imagination and its power in different states of mind. The lunatic, lover, and poet are all driven by their imaginations, which shape their perceptions of reality. The madman sees devils everywhere, beyond what hell could contain, illustrating the overwhelming nature of his delusions. The lover, equally consumed by emotion, sees unparalleled beauty in his beloved, comparing her to Helen of Troy. The poet, with his imaginative eye, captures the essence of things unseen and transforms them into tangible forms through his writing. This passage underscores the creative and transformative power of imagination, suggesting that it can bring to life what does not exist in reality, giving it substance and identity.

Dictionnaire des mots

Mot	Sens simple	Traduction	Pron.
lunatic	crazy person	someone who is mentally ill or very foolish	loo-nuh-tik
compact	made of	made of	kuhm-pakt
frantic	wild	very excited or upset	fran-tik
frenzy	wild excitement	wild excitement	fren-zee

The lunatic, the lover and the poet — Poème | Poetry Explainer