André Breton

Clair de terre

"Clair de terre" by André Breton is a poetry collection published in November 1923. Born from a period of creative crisis, this collection brings together Dadaist texts, dream narratives, and poems written through automatic writing. The title itself suggests a reversal of perspective—earthlight instead of moonlight—reflecting Breton's radical approach to poetic creation. With contributions from Picasso and De Chirico, the work captures Breton's struggle between rejecting literature altogether and surrendering to poetry's irresistible pull, marking a pivotal moment in surrealist expression.