The sacred occupies a central place in the poetry of Guillevic, who described himself as a 'matérialiste religieux'. This study, informed by anthropological and psychoanalytical thought, examines the evolution of this aspect of his oeuvre from Terraqué (1942) through to the poet's last works and focuses in particular on the relation between the sacred and the mother figure. A semiotic approach is used for close textual analysis of key poems. Guillevic's poetic endeavour is conceived as an archaeological quest whereby the presence of the archaic within the domain of the real is disclosed and mythical patterns emerge. The re-enactment of the cosmogony, the performance of ritual and the process of mourning - all crucial to poetic creativity itself - are identified as motivating forces through which the poet seeks reparation of the mother.
This study will be of interest to undergraduate and postgraduate students as well as to teachers of French literature, and will provide a useful introduction to those who may be unfamiliar with the unique voice of this major 20th century poet.