Alcools

by Guillaume Apollinaire

"Alcools" by Guillaume Apollinaire is a poetry collection published in 1913. Considered a manifesto of modern poetry upon its release, this work bridges Cubism and foreshadows Surrealism. The collection brings together poems composed between 1898 and 1912, drawing from Apollinaire's personal experiences—failed romances, travels through Germany, and time in prison. Most notably, Apollinaire eliminated all punctuation from the entire collection, letting rhythm and line breaks guide readers. This radical stylistic choice, combined with free verse and collage techniques, created a deliberately fragmented aesthetic that paralleled Cubist painting.