Is this so French or what?! The RATP is sending its best wishes for the new year to its riders. From now through the 22nd of January, extracts from French poems will decorate the platforms and corridors of the Métro as well as appearing on buses, the RER and tramway 3. Honestly, I could not imagine a similar campaign in the U.S. -- word play for sure, but no poetry, no way.
And by the way, RATP, pleine de poesie? Surely, a sweet wish for the new year, but let's hope also that it's also not pleine de grèves.
Note: If you can't read the text here, it says, "J'ai réinventé le passé pour voir la beauté de l'avenir." This line from Le Fou d'Elsa by Louis Aragon translates as "I reinvented the past to see the beauty of the future."
5 comments:
Oddly enough here in Toronto we also have poetry in our subways...smaller but still encouraging
Fantastic! I shall have to seek them out when I am there. Just sprung for tix - two nights only - to see Monet before the exhibit leaves. Monet, soldes, macarons, photos - my wkd. I hail from DC as well, forgot to mention that!
Years ago, when I was a teen, the New York City subways and buses used to have poetry and quotations sponsored, by the Metropolitan Transit Authority. Last few visits, I didn't notice any such ad replacements.
The New York subway system started displaying poems in 1992, beginning with Walt Whitman's "Crossing Brooklyn Ferry". The program was called Poetry in Motion; it was later supplanted by Train of Thought (sponsored by the TV show, "Jeopardy"), which displayed short inspiring passages from great thinkers. But those have come to an end, as the people in charge have decided to use the space to promote the accomplishments of the subway system. "Improving. Nonstop" is the current offering of the great thinkers who run the subway system.
Okay, I stand corrected!
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