Review: 'When the Pipirite Sings: Selected Poems' by Jean Métellus, ed. & trans. by Haun Saussy

The purpose of my blog was not just to keep track of my own reading but also to push me towards expanding my reading. A lot of my reading has been very Western-focused, from poetry to fairy tales to novels. When it comes to some genres I have been able to reach beyond my own culture, in large part thanks to the push for diversity in publishing and representation. This desire to broaden my horizons was a big reason for why I wanted to read When the Pipirite Sings. Thanks to Northwestern University Press and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My sincere apologies for the delay.

Pub. Date: 4/15/2019
Publisher: Northwestern University Press

When the Pipirite Sings gathers poems by the noted Haitian poet, novelist, and neurologist Jean Métellus, who died in January 2014. Along with other signature works, this volume includes the first English translation of Métellus’s visionary epic poem, “Au pipirite chantant” (“When the Pipirite Sings”), widely regarded as his masterpiece.

Translated by formidable comparative literature scholar Haun Saussy, When the Pipirite Sings expresses an acute historical consciousness and engages recurrent Haitian themes—the wrenching impact of colonialism and underdevelopment, the purposes of education, and the merging of spiritual and temporal power. And, as always with Métellus’s poetry, the range of voices and points of view evokes other genres, including fiction and cinema. This eminently readable book has formal and thematic ties to Aimé Césaire’s Notebook of a Return to the Native Land, central to the canon of French-language postcolonial writings.

In addition to many books of poetry, Métellus published novels, chiefly about the remembered Haiti of his youth, and plays about the conquest of the Caribbean. His nonfiction included reflections on Haitian history and politics, on the iconography of slave emancipation, and studies of aphasia and dyslexia.

Poetry wasn't always my cup of tea. It can be hard to get in to, especially more traditional forms or poetry from other cultures. Poetry, by its nature, works with metaphors and allusions and ideas, and many of these are culturally bound. Most will understand that the idea of a rising sun may mean a new beginning, but often it is not that straightforward. Often the references aren't even explicit or purposefully placed by the poet, rather they bleed in unawares. As such, reading poetry from "outside" your own culture can be a challenge. I definitely needed some time to get into Métellus' poems featured in When the Pipirite Sings. Not because they were difficult or abstract, let alone bad, but rather because I needed to open myself up to not understanding certain references. Saussy thankfully footnotes quite a few references, but it nonetheless took some getting used to. Once I let Métellus' beautiful writing wash over me, however, once I let go of following every single thing, I began to get much more of a sense of his rhythm and his meaning. And while Haiti is an unknown country to me, aside from the (sadly often tragic) news, I now feel like I've received a little glimpse of it, of its land, its people, its myths, and its spirit.

The collection starts with the titular long poem 'When the Pipirite Sings', which is hard to explain or summarise in a few lines. This poem spans 60+ pages (as far as I could see on my Kindle) and it immediately amazes by its vivid descriptions of land, gods, and suffering. It is a paean to Haiti, an outcry against slavery, an ode to the gods, a love-song to the land. Many lines stood out to me, each was impressive in and of itself. The one below, however, stood out:

My speech grafted on the branches of the future unleashes the lightning of calamities and pride with its seams of gold
The rasping of weeds that cannot perceive signs or my repetitive prayer or the waves of my throat or the bruises of my voice
Awakens my calling
The mutiny of passion eases the storm into my mouth
And light-headed air feeds the gums that attack my joy

This first poem is rather long and contains sub-sections, or sub-poems, 'Prayer to the Sun' and 'The Sun's Reply'. I really liked both of these as well, from their use of imagery to their tone, which sways between a plea and a war cry. Next is 'No Reprieve', which is as tragic as it sounds. 'Land' reads like the poem of someone who misses his homeland, and this emotion rings through really strongly. 'Death in Haiti' is both love song to Haiti and a mourning song to its people, pulled between hurricanes and gods and slavers. 'Words' was one of my favourites, starting with 'My heart gives itself up to words' while fully aware that words are a poor substitute for the real, living world. 'Ogoun' describes one of the chief male gods of the vaudou pantheon, or rather puts words in his mouth, and those words are like  war song. 'The Wretched of Life' is another one of my favourites, although it's not an apt word here. Inspired by Fanon's Les damnes de la terre, in which he analysed internalized racism, this poem shows perhaps clearest what issues Métellus was grappling with. 'For a Haitian Schoolboy' is a poem of encouragement but also questioning for young black boys, one that asks them to investigate where their knowledge comes from, what humanity's place in this world is, and to think carefully. I really enjoyed this one as well.

Jean Métellus was a Haitian poet, neurologist, linguist, and novelist. In his excellent introduction, Saussy paints a portrait of the man, or rather of the many personalities that came together in the man Jean. Métellus' interest in poetry didn't start until he had already left Haiti, leaving due to its tense political climate, when he was already studying medicine in Paris. For Métellus, his poetry was completely separate from every other aspect of his life. Even his work in linguistics did not impact his poetry. Saussy suggests something like vaudou possession, divine inspiration, which then burst out in countless poems dedicated to his homeland, if written in French rather than his native Kreyol. And the writing truly is beautiful. There is something so evocative about Métellus's writing, as if he is summoning the Haiti of his childhood out of thin air for the reader. What he also summons is the suffering of his people, the injustices of racism and slavery, the hardships of the climate. As such, the poems of When the Pipirite Sings aren't "easy reading" in the technical sense, but they are very much worth settling down for and getting in to. I'm very glad Haun Saussy and Northwestern University Press released such a beautiful collection to (re-)introduce audiences to this poet and his Haiti.

I give this collection...

4 Universes!

When the Pipirite Sings features stunning poems, especially the titular long poem which recreates and gives voice to Haiti. Any lovers of poetry and readers interested in post-colonial works should pick this collection up!