Mystery of the Word by Anne Hébert
"Mystery of the Word" is a poignant poem by Anne Hébert that explores themes of creation, belonging, and the profound impact of language on human existence. Part of her poetry collection, the piece contrasts her earlier work, "The Tomb of the Kings," which delves into themes of death and loss. In "Mystery of the Word," Hébert celebrates the emergence of a primitive society that receives the transformative gift of fire, symbolizing enlightenment and the awakening of consciousness.
The poem is characterized by its sweeping biblical style and solemn tone, vividly illustrating a tranquil landscape that blossoms into life through the interplay of sensory experiences, such as colors, sounds, and the richness of nature. The imagery evokes a magical wonder, with the act of receiving the word portrayed as an ennobling experience that connects humanity to the world around them. Hébert emphasizes the fundamental role of language in shaping civilization, positing it as an essential tool for expressing the complexity of existence and the human experience. Ultimately, the poem advocates for the responsibility that comes with the power of language, urging individuals to narrate the stories of life and death as they engage with their surroundings. This duality of celebration and responsibility encapsulates Hébert's reverence for the word as a cornerstone of culture and identity.
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Mystery of the Word by Anne Hébert
Excerpted from an article in Magill’s Survey of World Literature, Revised Edition
First published: “Mystère de la parole,” 1960 (collected in Poems, 1975)
Type of work: Poem
The Work
Mysterious, brooding, and introspective, Hébert’s poetry is distinctly her own. Her third collection of poetry, Poems, contains the poems of the previously published The Tomb of the Kings. A second section contains a short prose text, “Poetry, Broken Solitude,” and fifteen poems, including the poem “Mystery of the Word.” This poem has a sweeping biblical style and a solemn tone that speaks of possession, belonging, discovery, and beginnings. Whereas in The Tomb of the Kings Hébert evokes death and dispossession, in “Mystery of the Word” she celebrates life and the creative power of the word. Composed of sixteen long lines, “Mystery of the Word” recounts the birth of a primitive society that receives the gift of fire. The fullness and splendor of fire’s horror are revealed to the society.
The text opens in a tranquil landscape, miraculously awakened by enlightening forces that instill in the individual a sense of belonging and magical wonderment. Received by outstretched hands like a sword, this event is an ennobling experience. Odorous arrows, a metaphor describing the fullness of sensuality, inevitably draw the senses to ferns, leaves, flowers, damp wood, blue grasses, and the ambient world, expressed as a musk-laden beast. Colors and sounds, personified, visit this new land in masses while the enchantment of dreams seizes the minds of the innocent.
As if by a curtain rising on a stage, announced by three beats of a stick (which is compared to the rhythmic pulsation of blood), the fullness of the world is revealed, and, in an instant, takes hold of the human psyche. With it, the gift of the word is received, and seizes everything in a sweeping gesture. Through words, humanity and dawn, symbolic of the beginning of a civilization, become one. Forest and city, untamed lands and civilized collectives dot the land, which has become identifiable by the use of language.
The humanizing quality of language, its capacity to express the fullness of existence, makes it an indispensable element in the foundation of civilization and culture. It should be noted that Hébert’s conception of the primordial importance and power of language is consistently expressed throughout her work. In the final verse of “Mystery of the Word,” the narrative voice expresses the desire that the individual possessing the power of the word assume the responsibility of telling of life and death, at dawn among the grasses. This poem confirms the place of language in Hébert’s aesthetics; for Hébert, language is the means by which the fullness of existence, including dreams and inexplicable manifestations of the unknown, is powerfully and simply expressed.
Bibliography
Benson, Renate. “Aspects of Love in Anne Hébert’s Short Stories.” Journal of Canadian Fiction, nos. 25/26 (1979): 160-174.
Garneau, Saint-Denys. Saint-Denys Garneau and Anne Hébert. Translated by Frank R. Scott. Vancouver, B.C.: Klanak, 1978.
Knight, Kelton W. Anne Hébert: In Search of the First Garden. New York: P. Lang, 1998.
Noble, Peter. “Anne Hébert: Kamouraska and Les Fous de Bassan.” In Where Are the Voices Coming From? Canadian Culture and the Legacies of History, edited by Coral Ann Howells. New York: Rodopi, 2004.
Pallister, Janis L. The Art and Genius of Anne Hébert: Essays on Her Works, Night and Day Are One. Madison, N.J.: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 2001.
Paterson, Janet. “Anne Hébert.” In Profiles in Canadian Literature, edited by Jeffrey Heath. Vol. 3. Toronto: Dundurn Press, 1982.
Rea, Annabell M. “Marie-Josephte Becomes Ludivine: The Family Reformed in Anne Hébert’s Le Cage.” In Doing Gender: Franco-Canadian Women Writers of the 1990’s, edited by Paula Ruth Gilbert and Roseanna L. Dufault. Madison, N.J.: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 2001.
Russell, Delbert. Anne Hébert. Boston: Twayne, 1983.
Weir, Lorraine. “Anne Hébert.” In Canadian Writers, 1920-1959, edited by William New. Detroit: Gale Research, 1988.