Volume 1 of the complete edition is dedicated to Valéry's complete poetry and prose, as well as accompanying writings on the art of poetry, the translation process, and the context of the poems' creation. In his poetry, Valéry explores the intellectual nature of humanity. Moments of absolute knowledge are as much a subject as disturbed perception processes. Ancient myths and symbolism interact with the imagination of the creative subject. With his famous opening line, "Stupidity is not my strong suit," Monsieur Teste exemplarily transitions into Valéry's prose. For Teste, every human emotional response is stupidity. His pursuit of rationality and precision points to a central motif in both the works of Paul Valéry and the emerging modernity. This volume also includes collected short prose texts and the aphorisms "Moments" and "Broken Stories.".