Emile Deschamps
Émile Deschamps (1791-1871) was a significant French poet known for his contributions to the Romantic literary movement. Born in Bourges, his early life was marked by the upheaval of the Reign of Terror, leading his family to Paris, where his father’s salon exposed him to influential political figures. Deschamps made his literary debut while studying at the college of Orléans with a patriotic poem that garnered the attention of Napoleon Bonaparte. He later established his own literary salon, which became a gathering place for notable writers such as Victor Hugo and Alfred de Musset, and was instrumental in launching the periodical Muse française, pivotal in the rise of French Romanticism.
Deschamps broadened his literary horizons by studying and translating works from Spanish, German, and English literature, with his adaptation of the Spanish song cycle being particularly influential. Throughout his career, he sought to revive older poetic forms while incorporating diverse influences into the French literary scene. Even after moving to Versailles due to health issues, he continued to produce a prolific body of work that included fiction, drama, and translations of renowned authors like Shakespeare and Goethe. His efforts played a crucial role in modernizing French poetry, introducing new lyrical forms and invigorating the literary landscape of his time.
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Emile Deschamps
- Born: February 20, 1791
- Birthplace: Bourges, France
- Died: April 22, 1871
Biography
When the Reign of Terror forced Deschamps’s family to leave their home in Bourges, Deschamps’s father opened a salon in Paris where the young man was exposed to a variety of prominent politicians. After early education at the hands of private tutors, Deschamps attended the college of Orléans. While still there, he made his literary debut with a patriotic poem which captured the attention of Napoleon Bonaparte.
After his father’s salon closed in 1826, Deschamps opened his own, which lasted until 1845 and included such luminaries as Victor Hugo, Alfred de Musset, Alphonse de Lamartine, and Alfred de Vigny. Together these friends published the Muse française, the periodical that launched French Romanticism. For his part, Deschamps broadened his frame of reference by studying modern classics of Spanish, German, and British literature, some of which he translated or adapted. His adaptation of the Spanish song cycle written by the last Gothic Spanish king, Rodrigo, was especially influential, serving to launch the modern epic poem. Throughout his career Deschamps continued to revive older poetic forms, to infuse the local literary scene with foreign influences, and to champion French Romanticism.
Even after he closed his salon and removed to the relative peace of Versailles for reasons of poor health, Deschamps turned out a steady stream of fiction, drama, criticism, and translations of such foreign masters as William Shakespeare, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and Friedrich von Schiller. His energetic labors introduced the lyric form to the French literary landscape and helped modernize what had been moribund poetic forms.