Robert Desnos is perhaps best known today, as he was in the 1920s, for the poetry he composed in the Surrealist milieu of Paris. He is also recognized for the children's songs and rhymes that thrive in the memories of those who grew up in France in the last half of the twentieth century. Current appraisal of his work celebrates an extensive collection of poems and essays written during the early years of World War II. Desnos's work, ranging from impassioned love poetry to witty satire and tribute to humanism, retains throughout the visionary and lyrical qualities that capture the erotic desires of human experience. His multifaceted poetic achievement places Desnos among the most versatile poets of the twentieth century.

His poetry during the 1920s reflects a rebellious and adventurous spirit that tested the limits of social convention and creative expression. For many artists at the time, liberating...