Devoted to the passing of time, the poems from "Alcools" recreate a whole world: of the places that drew the author to his existence, and where his memories are intertwining; of the great female figures who crossed his life. But, they're also soaked in a culture both popular and knowing, which allows the poet to collect the heritage of the past while opening to the modernity of ordinary life. We could've mistakenly thought that this poetry book was a rupture book when it was published in 1913. Filled with ancient poems as well as new ones, Apollinaire offers powerful poems to tell out loud, with regular and free verses.