Alfred Jarry's life and work are both wildly separated and inextricably connected. The varied nature of his writing makes his work as a whole difficult to assimilate. Jarry is widely regarded as an icon of the modern theater. His best-known play is the infamous Ubu Roi (King Ubu, 1896; translated, 1951). But Jarry's work and influence extend well beyond the theatrical. Jarry's collected works also include a smattering of poetry, prose, fiction, and critical essays. Just as his plays influenced those whom critic and historian Martin Esslin dubbed the Absurdists and modern theater in general, Jarry's poetry is generally recognized as a driving force in Surrealism and a major influence on poets such as Guillaume Apollinaire, Antonin Artaud, and Roger Vitrac.

Lacking as it does the strong central focus found in his dramatic works, however, Jarry's poetry seems scattered and difficult to conceive of either as an interrelated whole or...