Leconte de Lisle

Charles Marie René Leconte de Lisle (French: [ʃaʁl maʁi ʁəne ləkɔ̃t lil]; 22 October 1818 – 17 July 1894) was a French poet of the Parnassian movement.[1] He is traditionally known by his surname only, Leconte de Lisle.

Leconte de Lisle
BornCharles Marie René Leconte de Lisle
(1818-10-22)22 October 1818
Saint-Paul, Réunion, France
Died17 July 1894(1894-07-17) (aged 75)
Voisins (near Louveciennes), France
OccupationPoet, writer, translator
Period1846–1894
Literary movementParnassian poets
Notable worksPoèmes antiques, Poèmes barbares, Poèmes tragiques, A People's history of the French Revolution (Histoire populaire de la révolution française), A People's History of Christianity (Histoire populaire de la christianisme)

Biography

Leconte de Lisle was born on the French overseas island of La Réunion, in the Indian Ocean. He spent his childhood there and later in Brittany. Among his friends in those years was the musician Charles Bénézit.[2] His father, an army surgeon who brought Leconte up with great severity, sent him to travel in the East Indies intending to prepare him for a business career. However, after returning from this journey, the young man preferred to complete his education in Rennes, Brittany, specializing in Greek, Italian and history.[1] In 1845 he settled definitively in Paris.[3]

He was involved in the French Revolution of 1848 which ended with the overthrow of the Orleans King Louis-Philppe of France, but took no further part in politics after the Second Republic was declared.

His first volume, La Vénus de Milo, attracted to him a number of friends many of whom were passionately devoted to classical literature.[1] However, as a writer he is most famous for his three collections of poetry: Poèmes antiques (1852), Poèmes barbares (1862), Poèmes tragiques (1884). He is also known for his translations of Ancient Greek tragedians and poets, such as Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides and Horace.[n 1]

Leconte de Lisle played a leading role in the Parnassian poetic movement (1866) and shared many of the values of other poets of this generation, bridging the Romantic and Symbolist periods.

Although Leconte de Lisle was a fervent Republican, during the reign of Napoleon III he accepted the pensions and decorations offered to him by the Emperor. This was held against him after the fall of the Second Empire and its replacement by the Third Republic, in 1871.

However, Leconte de Lisle redeemed himself with the new government by writing two democratically-oriented books entitled A People's History of the French Revolution and A People's History of Christianity, respectively. These works earned him a post as Assistant Librarian at the Luxembourg Palace in 1873; in 1886 he was elected to the French Academy, in succession to Victor Hugo.[1]

Personal life

Leconte de Lisle married Anna Adélaïde Perray (March 29, 1833 - September 8, 1916), daughter of Jacques Perray and Amélie Leconte, in Paris on September 10, 1857; they had no children.

Leconte de Lisle died on 17 July 1894 at Voisins in the township of Louveciennes, to the west of Paris.

Works

As well as poetry, Leconte de Lisle produced a number of theatrical plays, lyrical works, translations, and historical works. His works are shown below, in chronological order.

Type
Title
year
Comments, editions, etc.
1

Poetry

Poèmes antiques

1852

[1] Marc Ducloux, 1852. Rééditions : Lemerre, [2] 1874, [3] 1881, [4] 1886. Ed. de référence : [5] 1891.

2

Poetry

Poèmes et Poésies

1855

[1] Dentu, 1855. Réédition : [2] Taride, 1857.

3

Poetry

Le Chemin de la Croix ou La Passion

1856

[1] Chez les Auteurs, 1856. Rééditions [2] 1857, [3] 1858.

4

Poetry

Poèsies Complètes : Poèmes antiques - Poèmes et Poèsies - Poèsies nouvelles

1858

[1] with decoration by Louis Duveau, Poulet-Malassis et Eugène de Broise, 1858.

5

Poetry

Poèmes barbares

1862

[1] (sous le titre Poèsies Barbares), Poulet-Malassis, 1862.
Rééditions : Lemerre (sous le titre définitif Poèmes barbares, et incorporant Le Soir d'une Bataille, 1871) : [2] 1872, [3] 1878, [4] 1881 ou 1882, [5] Ed. de référence, 1889.

6

Poetry

Le Soir d'une Bataille

1871

[1] Lemerre, 1871.

7

Poetry

Le Sacre de Paris

1871

[1] Lemerre, 1871.

8

Poetry

Poèmes tragiques

1884

[1] Lemerre, 1884. Ce recueil incorpore : Le Sacre de Paris, 1871 ; Les Érinnyes, 1873. Rééditions : [2] 1886. Ed. de référence : [3] 1895.

9

Poetry

Derniers poèmes

1895

Published by José-Maria de Heredia and Vicomte de Guerne. This collection includes: L'Apollonide ; La Passion ; les préfaces des Poèmes antiques, 1852 et de Poèmes et Poèsies, 1855 ; Les Poètes contemporains, 1864 et Charles Baudelaire, 1861. [1] Lemerre, 1895. Réédition : [2] 1899, and, Soleils ! Poussière d'or.

10

Poetry

Premières Poèsies et lettres intimes

1902

Posthumous publication: [1] Éditions Fasquelle|Fasquelle, 1902.

11

Poetry

Les États du Diable

1895

Posthumous publication: only a fragment remains of this work, published in Derniers poèmes, 1895, with the title Cozza et Borgia.

12

Theatre

Hélène

1852

Leconte de Lisle included Hélène in Poèmes antiques from the first edition in 1852. Ernest Chausson extracted a lyrical theme from it in (1885)

13

Theatre

Les Érinnyes

1873

Tragedia antica, M. Massenet
Première partie - Klytaimnestra ; - Orestès.
[1] Alphonse Lemerre, 1873. Rééditions : [2] 1876, [3] 1889..

14

Theatre

L’Apollonide

1888

Lyrical drama. Music from Franz Servais.
[1] Lemerre.

15

Theatre

Frédégonde

1895

Pièce de Theatre mentionnée par Fernand Calmettes

16

Translation

Théocrite, Idylles et Epigrammes ; Odes anacréontiques

1861

New translation by Leconte de Lisle,
Poulet-Malassis et Eugène de Broise,

17

Translation

Homère, Iliade

1866

Lemerre, 1866. Rééditions : [2] - 1874, [3] - 1882, [4] - 1884.

18

Translation

Homère, Odyssée

1868

Lemerre,

19

Translation

Hésiode, Hymnes orphiques, Théocrite, Biôn, Moskhos, Tyrtée, Odes anacréontiques

1869

Lemerre
translation of Théocrite 1861.

20

Translation

Eschyle

1872

Lemerre

21

Translation

Horace, Œuvres

1873

Lemerre

22

Translation

Sophocle

1877

Lemerre

23

Translation

Euripide

1884

Lemerre

24

Manifeste

Preface of Poèmes antiques

1852

Marc Ducloux ; Derniers poèmes, 1895

25

Manifeste

Preface of Poèmes et Poèsies

1855

Dentu ; Derniers poèmes, 1895.

26

Manifeste

Preface of Idylles de Théocrite et Odes anacréontiques

1861

Poulet-Malassis et Eugène de Broise
Subject: translation

27

Manifeste

Foreword of the study about the Poètes contemporains

1864

Le Nain Jaune

28

Manifeste

Avertissement de la Translation de l’Iliade d’Homère.

1867

Lemerre
Theme : translation.

29

Récit en prose

Mon premier amour en prose

1840

Published in La Variété, December 1840.

30

Récit en prose

Une Peau de Tigre

1841

Published in La Variété, March 1841.

31

Récit en prose

Le Songe d’Hermann

1846

Published in La Démocratie pacifique.

32

Récit en prose

La Mélodie incarnée

1846

Published in La Démocratie pacifique.

33

Récit en prose

Le Prince Ménalcas,

1846

Published in La Démocratie pacifique.

34

Récit en prose

Sacatove,

1846

Published in La Démocratie pacifique.

35

Récit en prose

Dianora

1847

Published in La Démocratie pacifique.

36

Récit en prose

Marcie

1847

Published in La Démocratie pacifique.

37

Récit en prose

La Rivière des Songes

1847

Published in La Démocratie pacifique.

38

Récit en prose

La Princesse Yaso’da

1847

Published in La Démocratie pacifique.

39

Récit en prose

Phalya-Mani

1876

Published in La République des Lettres.

40

Historical book

Histoires des guerres sociales

Unpublished

41

Historical book

L'Inde française

1858

Published in Le Présent, t., 1858. Work updated by Edgard Pich ; Rééditions : [2] tome des Œuvres de l'édition E. Pich, 388 ; [3] Grand Océan, coll. Les Introuvables de l'Océan Indien, 1999.
42

Historical book

Catéchisme populaire républicain

1870; 2013

Lemerre. Éditions Alliage.

43

Historical book

A People's History of Christianity (Histoire Populaire du Christianisme)

1871, 2013

Édition Lemerre. Editions Alliage

44

Historical book

A People's History of the French Revolution (Histoire Populaire de la Révolution française)

1871; 2013

Édition Lemerre. Editions Alliage

45

Historical book

A People's History of the Middle Ages (Histoire Populaire du Moyen-Âge)

1876

Written in collaboration with Jean Marras and Pierre Gosset. Édition Lemerre.
Appeared without mention of Jean Marras. Pierre Gosset is only mentioned on the cover of the paperback copies.

46

Notice

Charles Baudelaire, Les Fleurs du mal, édition, Paris, Poulet-Malassis

1861

Revue Européenne, décembre 1861. Cet article est intégré dans le recueil posthume Derniers poèmes, 1895, en dernière place des Poètes contemporains.

47

Notice

Les Poètes contemporains : Béranger, Lamartine, Victor Hugo, Alfred de Vigny, Auguste Barbier

1864

Publié dans Le Nain jaune : Avant-propos, 3/08/1864 ;- Béranger, 13/08/1864 ;- Lamartine, 20/08/1864 ;- Victor Hugo, 31/08/1864 ; - Alfred de Vigny, 10/09/1864 ;- Auguste Barbier, 01/10/1864.
Les notices sont intégrées dans le recueil posthume Derniers Poèmes, 1895.

48

Notice

Notice sur Victor Hugo

1887

Paru dans lAnthologie des Poètes français du XIXe, Lemerre, 4 vol., 1887–89. La notice se trouve dans le vol.

49

Notice

Notice sur Auguste Barbier

1887

Paru dans l'Anthologie des Poètes français du XIXe, Lemerre, 4 vol., 1887–89. La notice se trouve dans le vol.

50

Notice

Notice sur Edmond Haraucourt

1889

Paru dans l'Anthologie des Poètes français du XIXe, Lemerre, 4 vol., 1887-89. La notice se trouve dans le vol.

51

Speech

Burial speech for Victor Hugo.

1885

Speech, "In the Name of the Poets", given at the burial of Victor Hugo in the Panthéon, le 1

52

Speech

Speech given at his réception by the French Academy

1887

Reception speech at the French Academy, Thursday 31, Institut de France, 1887.

53

Préface

Léon Vanier, Rimes de mai : Les Églantines

1891

54

Préface

Georges Bois, Monsieur le Vicaire

1891

Dentu

55

Préface

Robert de Montesquiou, Les Chauves-Souris

1893

G. Richard

56

Préface

Jean Dornis, La Voie douloureuse, roman

1894

Calmann Lévy

57

Préface

Judith Gautier, Iskender, histoire persane

1894

Paris, Armand Colin, bibliothèque de romans historiques.

58

Pétition

Soutien à la République et à l'abolition de l'esclavage

1848

59

Pétition

Artists against the Eiffel Tower

1887

References

  1. Symons 1911.
  2. Christie McDonald, Susan Rubin Suleiman: French Global: A New Approach to Literary History(2011), p. 123: "Even Leconte de Lisle, who travelled back and forth between Brittany and Reunion Island throughout his youth and knew firsthand about ..."
  3. Jean Mistler Speech at the Bibliothèque nationale (1977)
  1. Homère, les tragiques grecs (Eschyle, Sophocle, Euripide), Hésiode, Théocrite, Biôn, Moskhos, Tyrtée, Horace, etc.

Bibliography

  • J. Dornis: Leconte de Lisle intime (1895)
  • F. Calmette: Un Demi siècle littéraire, Leconte de Lisle et ses amis (1902)
  • Paul Bourget: Nouveaux essais de psychologie contemporaine (1885)
  • Ferdinand Brunetière: L'Évolution de la poésie lyrique en France au XIX" siècle (1894)
  • Maurice Spronck: Les Artistes littéraires (1889)
  • Jules Lemaître: Les Contemporains (2nd series, 1886)
  • F. Brunetière: Nouveaux essais sur la littérature contemporaine (1895)
  • Complete poetry work of Leconte de Lisle (in French)
  • This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Symons, Arthur (1911). "Leconte de Lisle, Charles Marie René". In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 16 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 356. This includes a lengthy critical review, focusing on Leconte de Lisle's place in the Parnassian movement.
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