Roubaud's Circus: Playing with Words and Animals in Les animaux de tout le monde

It is commonly held that there is a solid, defined line existing between men and animals. This thesis explores the ideological boundary and, through a close examination of Jacques Roubaud’s collection of poetry Les animaux de tout le monde, imagines the line as a fluid structure that can be broken, approached, and multiplied.In a circus theme following the playful style of Roubaud’s own verses, I include several close readings of poems as well as an analysis of Roubaud’s influence from Lewis Carroll’s nonsense genre, the Fables of Jean de la Fontaine, and Medieval bestiaries in order to create a link between men, animals, French literature, and Western philosophy.This thesis proves that Jacques Roubaud’s collection presents our world as a complex space that is shared between men and animals, full of endless opportunities for connections and play.