Guillaume Apollinaire
Guillaume Apollinaire, born Wilhelm Albert Włodzimierz Apolinary Kostrowicki on August 26, 1880, in Rome, Italy, and deceased on November 9, 1918, in Paris, France, was a notable French poet, playwright, short story writer, novelist, and art critic. Apollinaire played a crucial role in the development of 20th-century theater and art. He was actively involved in the Cubist movement and became a steadfast advocate for numerous avant-garde artists, including Henri Rousseau and Marcel Duchamp. The poet is celebrated for his experimental use of form and his exploration of the juxtaposition between the traditional and the new. His works, such as "Alcools" (1913) and "Calligrammes" (1918), are lauded for their complex engagement with modernity and innovative use of language and layout, merging visual and linguistic elements in a way that profoundly influenced future generations of poets and artists.