Mai (May) by Guillaume Apollinaire

This month’s Classic Reading marks a special first for the series as Manhattan University expands its literary celebration across languages and borders with a bilingual presentation in French and English. In honor of May Day, May 1, a major national holiday in France, Kristell reads Mai (May) by renowned French poet Guillaume Apollinaire, offering listeners the opportunity to experience the poem in its original language alongside its English interpretation.

As spring reaches full bloom and communities around the world celebrate renewal, labor, and tradition, Apollinaire’s poem captures the beauty, motion, and emotional richness of the season. His vivid imagery and lyrical voice reflect both personal reflection and the changing landscape of springtime. Through this reading, the Classic Readings Series continues to grow its cultural footprint, inviting audiences from New York to Quebec and France to share in a common literary experience.

Watch Mai (May) Reading on YouTube Regarder la lecture de Mai sur YouTube

About This Reading

Mai (May) by Guillaume Apollinaire is one of the poet’s celebrated reflections on spring, movement, and memory. Written with the fluid, modernist style that helped define early twentieth-century French poetry, the poem evokes the passing of time through images of rivers, flowers, changing seasons, and emotional longing. Like much of Apollinaire’s work, it balances beauty with quiet melancholy, inviting readers to consider both what is blooming and what is being left behind.

In this bilingual reading, Kristell presents the poem first in French and then in English, highlighting the musicality of Apollinaire’s original language while making its emotional depth accessible to a wider audience. This marks the first multilingual installment of the Classic Readings Series and reflects Manhattan University’s commitment to expanding the reach of literature, language, and shared cultural experience across communities.

Filming support provided by Michael Grabowski, Ph.D., Director of the Game Design & Production major and Professor in the Communication, Sound, and Media Arts Department, with assistance from Sam Wofford '26.

READ AT poetry.com LIRE SUR poetry.com