Cocteau had an ambition many a poet has: to become immortal. But he, perhaps more than most, addressed this ambition directly in a great many of his plays, poems, and films. This book puts the work of this elusive and compelling poet under the microscope, examining how he channeled the concerns and anxieties of his age (and beyond) into his creations. Putting aside anecdotes of his life and other biographical minutiae, it turns to the creative achievements of the polymath – some well-known, some less so – to examine how he wrestles with the profound questions that concern human nature and enters into a conversation with his creative forebears on matters relating to love, imagination, suffering, and consolation.

James Jackson is currently a visiting lecturer at the University of Winchester, UK. In 2022, he completed his doctorate at the University of Southampton. His broader interests include French culture, cinema, and literature; European history, culture, and cinema; intellectual history; historical memory; comparative studies; the interdisciplinary nature of the humanities/liberal arts.