Raoul Boucquey is a history teacher in the Klein Seminarie and president of the Gezelle-society in Roeselare. He was responsible for the calendar of activities that Roeselare has published for the Gezelle-year. Annelies Cloet, Christof Forrier and Joke Vantomme tried to find out what's left over of Gezelle in the Klein Seminarie and had a look at the calender of activities.

Could you tell us how come you are interested in Gezelle?

In the Klein Seminarie we had a few exhibitions about the history of the school, and then you come accross some famous persons, like Gezelle, Hugo Verriest and Albrecht Rodenbach. That arose my interest for Gezelle.

What is according to you the value of a poet like Gezelle, in the year 1999?

Feelings like loneliness, melancholy...who doesn't know that? But of course it's his virtuosity with the language that has made him so famous. Paul van Ostayen said he had never read a more expressionistic poet than Gezelle.

A poem like " 't Er viel ne keer een bladtjen" doesn't mean anything, but when you hear it, it's pure music. It's his sonorosity that is so uncommon which makes him at the same time expressionistic and impressionistic: he paints with words, you can see, you can hear, you can almost feel it.

He wanted to prove that Flemish wasn't some vulgar language, but a language that could also be used in literature.

What's left over from Gezelle's days?

The building has been refurbished. The porter's lodge, where Gezelle worked, is not the same anymore. I have had lessons in the classroom where Gezelle used to teach. The corridors with the teachers rooms still exist. There are still 5 stuffed birds that he used in his biology lessons. There is also a kind of telescope from Gezelle's days. We know that Gezelle was interested in astrology, it is possible that Gezelle once looked through the lens, but we are not sure.

The porter's lodge

And then there's a chandelier which Gezelle helped to pay. That was because the English students destroyed the previous chandelier.

Can you tell us something about the life of Gezelle in Roeselare?

Gezelle could study here at a low price. According to some people he was frustrated by his social status: most of the pupils here were rich and better dressed. The first years he didn't feel good about this. At a young age he began to write poems.

He chose to become a priest which wasn't that exceptional: the Klein Seminarie was famous as a school for priests. After a short intermezzo in Brugge he returns to his familiar area and becomes a supervisor-companion for the English students here. Soon he clashed with his superiors because of his pedagogical approach: he played with his students, was familiar with them, received them in his room... Gezelle was a sort of a father and mother at the same time for all the kids who often were homesick.

Here we have a calendar with the activities that will take place in Roeselare during this Gezelle-year. What was your share in it?

As chairman of the Gezelle-comity in Roeselare, I was responsible for the composition of it. Every plan was made with a small group. It involved a lot of work and will cost a lot of money.

Also our evening walks in the Klein Seminarie should be a success. We have layed out a track of poems along a few locations that helps remember Gezelle: the garden with the pond, the sluice on the Mandel ( the 'spuie' ). We have tried to offer these activities at a very democratic price.

There are lots of exhibitions, competitions and performances in the programme. If you were to make a choice, what would be your favourite item?

It's difficult to choose amongst your own children. I expect much of the movie by Lieven Debrauwer, I also hope the exhibition will be good. I expect a lot of people on the nocturns.

What should we, pupils of a secondary school, definitely have to take in?

There are educational packages of Gezelle for schools. For those who love poetry I would really advise to go to the theatre of Bart Cafmeyer. He shows Gezelle in a pleasant way.

Many thanks for this interview and together with you we hope that this will be a success.