Les Offrandes blessées
One of 20 copies on Japanese paper (no. 10), from the deluxe issue.
A collection of 188 elegiac poems inspired by the war, Les Offrandes blessées attests to the undiminished verve of Robert de Montesquiou, who, having retired to Switzerland, indulges here in a patriotic fervor of another age, while retaining his precious style and a certain taste for emphasis.
A month after its publication, Marcel Proust received the book. In a letter of 19 June 1915 to Mme Catusse (Kolb, XIV, no. 71, p. 151), he notes that he has received “a volume by Montesquiou: Les Offrandes blessées (188 elegies on the war). He must have begun it on the very first day of mobilization. Such fecundity!” before concluding ironically, quoting Corneille’s Horace: “Souffrez que je l’admire et ne l’imite pas.” That was clearly said.
A few days later, Proust nonetheless thanked Montesquiou for his gift, mentioning certain “offerings” that had moved him and promising a visit soon (Kolb, XIV, no. 80, pp. 165–167). But Montesquiou, wounded, replied curtly, drafting what might be read as a metaphor for their cooling relationship at the time: “Il y a, entre nous, désormais un mur de glace. Il contient, retient, maintient des fleurs colorées et fraîches ; on les voit, mais sans les atteindre.”