Charles Bukowski

Paris

Paris - meaning Summary

Rejecting Romantic Clichés

The short poem refuses sentimental or stereotyped visions of Paris. The speaker rejects idyllic images like bicycling in a beret and distances himself from intellectual attachments symbolized by Camus. Its pared-down diction conveys irritation and disinterest rather than nostalgia or admiration. Read as a curt dismissal, the poem emphasizes personal authenticity over fashionable literary or tourist clichés tied to the city and its cultural icons.

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Never, even in calmer times, have I ever dreamed of bicycling through that city, wearing a beret, and Camus always pissed me off.

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