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Black Republic of Letters

Note - Leconte de Lisle

Charles Marie René Leconte de Lisle (1818-1894) was a French Parnassian poet. Learn more about Leconte de Lisle.

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Literary Chat (Continued)

Personal and emotional poetry, however it is dressed up, naturally belongs to the young. Sully-Prudhomme seems to have given us the most modern and the most exact example, but Sully-Prudhomme is far from being impersonal and his philosophy can be profound without ceasing to be emotional. Mr. Lorenzo, however, gave us a lovely definition of poetry that he conceives as "severe in form and thought, rich in images and harmony, animated with a unique breath, sober nevertheless and full of a sincere and content emotion, not whirling and sentimental, reserved for an elite public..." but why go on to proscribe personal poetry and give Leconte de Lisle as the ideal for the youth!

Far be it from us to diminish the splendid talent of the poet, but we don't hope and still less believe that his marmoreal poetry would be that of the youth. Would you like the original witness of a young English author, with a very French and even Parisian spirit? "Reading Leconte de Lisle produces in me," said he,"the effect of a stroll along the Palace of Justice."

A little cold, isn't it?

And indeed, whatever one says or does, at the age of twenty, one needs life and emotion, and poetry with a burning heart. It's that kind that we will always sing, at the moment when, setting aside our posture and our theories, we wish to become ourselves once again. You're not speaking to Paul Astier nor to Maurice Barrès, my dear fellow, you've taken care to specify, you're not speaking to the exception, but to the mass of the intelligent and sincere youth.

Well, this one, who doesn't care what people think and bravely plays his part, needs poetry that is intimate, personal and emotional in order to throw his dreams, desires and sufferings into. If the weight or the sadness of existence overwhelms us more today than it did in the past, greater and more powerful must be the stream of poetry with which we must replenish ourselves; if our hours are less filled with madness, joy, and love, this is no reason to deny that they exist, and for an hour of love one needs a poet! That is why our eternal Musset will remain! Musset, whom the current fashion would demolish, who you also demolish! Have you not written that "he rhymed with cowardice" (do you like Mr. Théodore de Banville better?) "that he was poor in imagination and ideas," and, in a word, "that he was not a poet"?

I will not dare to insist, my dear fellow, for fear of ending on a cruel note (you will consider me a bit late, no?... I have no shame!) because, on the contrary, I want to congratulate you for this serious analysis on the contemporary youth that you attempted. Our ideas are not the same; however I believe I sense sincerity in you, a very generous conviction, and maybe we're less far apart than we believe—in any case, if your theories are debatable, the same cannot be said about the very likeable talent with which you were able to articulate them.

Paul Montal

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Leconte de Lisle