introduction victor hugo

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In 1843, his oldest (and favorite) daughter, Leopoldine, drowned in a boating accident when she was a 19-year-old newlywed. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. In a preface to his verse play Cromwell (1827), he called for a drama of action—which he saw as appropriate to modern man, the battleground of matter and spirit—that could transcend Classical categories and mix the sublime and the grotesque. That is what I am, and that is why I have written Les Miserables." Thanks to you, holy progress, the Revolution vibrates today in the air, in the voice, in The defense of freedom and the cult of an idealized Napoleon in such poems as the ode “À la Colonne” and “Lui” brought Hugo into touch with the liberal group of writers on the newspaper Le Globe, and his move toward liberalism was strengthened by the French king Charles X’s restrictions on the liberty of the press as well as by the censor’s prohibiting the stage performance of his play Marion de Lorme (1829), which portrays the character of Louis XIII unfavourably. In the end, it was the readers who won out: Les Mis became a genuine phenomenon which remains popular in the modern day, and has been translated into many languages and adapted into several other mediums. He continued his political career via election to the National Assembly of the Second Republic in 1848, where he broke ranks with his fellow conservatives to denounce widespread poverty and to advocate for universal suffrage, the abolition of the death penalty, and free education for all children. In the latter category, he wrote several of his most acclaimed poems about his daughter’s untimely death and his own grief. This play was at first banned but was later used by Giuseppe Verdi as the libretto of his opera Rigoletto. Juliette had little talent and soon renounced the stage in order to devote herself exclusively to him, becoming the discreet and faithful companion she was to remain until her death in 1883. Dans le mot palpitant le lecteur la sent vivre. Hugo’s father was a general in the French army and a fervent supporter of Napoleon. Les Miserables, a well-written, spellbinding novel by Victor Hugo, paints a vivid picture of redemption and grace through its intricate plot, set against the violent and idealistic French revolution. By almost universal consent he is recognized as the greatest French poet; he is one of the greater poets of the world. In this new introduction by Bradley Stephens (literary scholar at the University of Bristol), the ongoing modern relevance of Hugo's classic gothic novel is explored in terms of its cinematic and political elements. Because of the stream of tourists who loved the novel and wanted to visit the real cathedral, the city of Paris began a major renovation project in 1844. and crew who accepted the challenge. On May 20, 1885, Hugo died of pneumonia at the age of 83. While Hugo had derived his early renown from his plays, he gained wider fame in 1831 with his historical novel Notre-Dame de Paris (Eng. Les Miserables [with Biographical Introduction] - Kindle edition by Hugo, Victor. Hugo covered a wide variety of literary themes throughout his career, ranging from politically charged content to much more personal writings. Victor Hugo (February 26, 1802 – May 22, 1885) was a French poet and novelist during the Romantic Movement. By the time Victor Hugo wrote The Hunchback of Notre Dame (published in French as Notre-Dame de Paris ), he had already made a name for himself as a poet and dramatist. Hugo began writing as a very young man, with his first publication coming in 1822, the same year as his marriage. It became a huge hit and was quickly translated into other languages for readers across Europe. Victor Marie Hugo was born in Besancon, France, in 1802. General introduction / by Robert Louis Stevenson. The renovations to Notre Dame inspired by Hugo saved the cathedral from ruin. Homer Thompson 16,803 views Sophie Hugo died in 1821, and the couple were able to marry the following year, when Hugo was 21. In that same year he published his first book of poems, Odes et poésies diverses, whose royalist sentiments earned him a pension from Louis XVIII. trans. Though regarded in France as one of that country’s greatest poets, he is better known abroad for such novels as Notre-Dame de Paris (1831) and Les Misérables (1862). Les misérables, book V. Hugo of Iceland -- v. Telling the story of a man condemned to death, the short novel was the first appearance of the strong social conscience that Hugo’s later works would be known for. The fall of the empire gave him, from 1815 to 1818, a time of uninterrupted study at the Pension Cordier and the Lycée Louis-le-Grand, after which he graduated from the law faculty at Paris, where his studies seem to have been purposeless and irregular. brief introduction to Victor Hugo’s poem ‘Booz endormi’ with the text of the final 6 lines together with a synopsisi in English of the 6 lines. Introduction. Sweeping emotion is a hallmark of Hugo’s novels, with language that drops the reader into the intense feelings of passionate, complicated characters. He had requested a quiet funeral but was instead given a state funeral, with over 2 million mourners joining the funeral procession in Paris. Hugo believed the novel to be the pinnacle of his work, and it became immensely popular among readers almost instantly. Hugo strongly opposed Napoleon III’s reign, calling him a traitor, and as a result, he lived in exile outside of France. In 1826 he also published Odes et ballades, an enlarged edition of his previously printed verse, the latest of these poems being brilliant variations on the fashionable Romantic modes of mirth and terror. An Introduction to French Poetry: Hugo's "Demain, des l'aube..." by William Beauchamp VICTOR HUGO'S "Demain, des l'aube" (Contemplations, IV, 14) is unusually effective as an initiation into French poetry: it is short, accessible to students still unsure of the language, complex enough to pose many of the basic problems of textual analysis. From this time he almost ceased to publish, partly because of the demands of society and political life but also as a result of personal loss: his daughter Léopoldine, recently married, was accidentally drowned with her husband in September 1843. Four books of poems came from Hugo in the period of the July Monarchy: Les Feuilles d’automne (1831; “Autumn Leaves”), intimate and personal in inspiration; Les Chants du crépuscule (1835; Songs of Twilight), overtly political; Les Voix intérieures (1837; “Inner Voices”), both personal and philosophical; and Les Rayons et les ombres (1840; “Sunlight and Shadows”), in which the poet, renewing these different themes, indulges his gift for colour and picturesque detail. In 1804, when Hugo was 2 years old, Napoleon was proclaimed emperor of France; a little over a decade later, the monarchy of the House of Bourbon was restored. Because of this, Hugo would not marry anyone else, but would not marry Foucher while his mother was still alive, either. 1. It may be noted, too, that “Le Feu du ciel,” a visionary poem, forecast those he was to write 25 years later. Hugo’s literary achievement was recognized in 1841 by his election, after three unsuccessful attempts, to the French Academy and by his nomination in 1845 to the Chamber of Peers. VICTOR HUGO AND REVOLUTIONARY VIOLENCE 627 Vibre aujourd'hui dans l'air, dans la voix, dans le livre. The book was dedicated to Guernsey, where he lived for 15 years. Victor Hugo, in full Victor-Marie Hugo, (born February 26, 1802, Besançon, France—died May 22, 1885, Paris), poet, novelist, and dramatist who was the most important of the French Romantic writers. Her husband also died while trying to save her. The youthful vigour of these poems was also characteristic of another collection, Les Orientales (1829), which appealed to the Romantic taste for Oriental local colour. He played an important part in the Romantic movement in France. For the most part, though, he spent his early years in Paris with his mother. Victor Hugo produced an enormous output of work, including the novels Notre-Dame de Paris (1831; The Hunchback of Notre-Dame) and Les Misérables (1862); the plays Cromwell (1827), Hernani (1830), and Ruy Blas (1838); and the poetry collections Les Châtiments (1853) and Les Contemplations (1856). (ix: 78) [Thus the movement completes its action. The novel is a critical statement against human suffering, poverty, and ignorance. Ninety-three, the last of Victor Hugo's novels, is regarded by many including such diverse critics as Robert Louis Stevenson and André Maurois as his greatest work. Victor Hugo began writing as a very young man. Le Dernier jour d'un condamné (The Last Day of a Condemned Man) was published in 1829. Victor Hugo is widely considered an icon of French literature and culture, to the point where many French cities have streets or squares named after him. Prahl, Amanda. Prahl, Amanda. So long as men are degraded, women ruined, and children live in physical and spiritual night. Such a type of drama would abandon the formal rules of classical tragedy for the freedom and truth to be found in the plays of William Shakespeare. He suffered a series of personal tragedies: the death of his wife and two sons, the loss of his daughter to an asylum, the death of his mistress, and he suffered a stroke himself. Victor Hugo (1802-85) was a forceful and prolific writer. The sign for Avenue Victor Hugo in Paris's 16th arrondissement. Victor Marie Hugo (26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French poet, playwright, novelist, statesman and human rights activist. These ideals can be seen in many of his works, including some of his most notable ones. Cromwell itself, though immensely long and almost impossible to stage, was written in verse of great force and originality. His mother died in 1821, and a year later Victor married a childhood friend, Adèle Foucher, with whom he had five children. The chronologi cal order usually followed is undesirable. He wrote volumes of criticism, Romantic costume dramas, lyrical and satirical verse and political journalism but is best remembered for his novels, especially Notre-Dame de Paris (1831) and Les Miserables (1862) which was adapted into one of the most successful musicals of all time. Hugo was…. trans. As a young man, Hugo fell in love with Adèle Foucher, his childhood friend. trans. When in December 1851 a coup d’état took place, which eventually resulted in the Second Empire under Napoleon III, Hugo made one attempt at resistance and then fled to Brussels. Hugo’s early writings were not solely confined to poetry, though. Notre Dame. Eventually, they were the parents of four children: two daughters (Leopoldine and Adele) and two sons (Charles and François-Victor). This introduction forms part There are at least three different types of impoverished people in Les Misérables : the pitiful poor, the purified poor, and the wicked poor. The first of these plays was another verse drama, Le Roi s’amuse (1832; Eng. 1793, Year Two of the Republic, saw the establishment of the National Convention, the execution of Louis XVI, the Terror, and the monarchist revolt in the Vendée, brutally suppressed by the Republic. His work was a strong influence in the music world, especially given his friendship with composers Franz Liszt and Hector Berlioz, and many operas and other musical works were inspired by his writing—a trend which continues into the contemporary world, with the musical version of Les Misérables becoming one of the most popular musicals of all time. Hugo wrote "À Villequier,” one of his most famous poems, in mourning for his daughter. . Biography of Victor Hugo, French Writer. Set in nineteenth century France, this book tells the story of Jean Valjean, an escaped convict determined to put his criminal past behind him. He is also remembered for the verbal inventiveness and technical virtuosity with which he created poems ranging from intimate lyrics to visionary and prophetic epics. The youngest son of Joseph Léopold Sigisbert Hugo (1774–1828) a general in the Napoleonic army, and Sophie Trébuchet (1772–1821); the couple had two more sons: Abel Joseph (1798–1855) and Eugène (1800–1837). Victor Hugo said: "I condemn slavery, I banish poverty, I teach ignorance, I treat disease, I lighten the night, and I hate hatred. ThoughtCo, Aug. 29, 2020, thoughtco.com/biography-of-victor-hugo-4775732. The story follows former convict, Jean Valjean, who spent nearly two decades in prison for stealing food for his family. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. For many years, Hugo had planned a novel about social injustices and the misery suffered by the poor. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. Adèle Foucher married Victor Hugo in 1821. This page from an illustrated edition of Les Misérables shows Cosette, a main character. As a result of his military career, the family moved frequently, including stints in Naples and Rome. Quatre-vingt-treize would be his last novel. In 1831, Notre-Dame de Paris, known in English as The Hunchback of Notre Dame, was published; it was Hugo’s first full-length novel. Most famously, of course, he focused Les Misérables on the plight of the poor and the horrors of injustice, which are depicted both on an individual scale (the journey of Jean Valjean) and a societal one (the June Rebellion). Les Misérables Volume One: Fantine is the introduction to Victor Hugo’s acclaimed historical novel centering a weary hero and heroine torn by poverty and politics. First Novel and Further Writing (1831-1850). Victor-Marie Hugo [viktɔʁ maʁi yɡo] (Besançon, 1802. február 26. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. In 1862 Hugo published his masterwork Les Miserables, which gained an international While frequenting this literary circle, which was called the Cénacle, Hugo shared in launching a new review of moderate tendencies, the Muse Française (1823–24). Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. He demanded a verse drama in which the contradictions of human existence—good and evil, beauty and ugliness, tears and laughter—would be resolved by the inclusion of both tragic and comic elements in a single play. Victor-Marie Hugo was born on 26 February 1802 in Besançon in Eastern France. Bibliothèque Nationale de France / public domain. Hugo eventually settled in Guernsey, a small island under British jurisdiction in the English Channel off the French coast of Normandy. In fact, the preface to Cromwell, as an important statement of the tenets of Romanticism, has proved far more important than the play itself. Medievalism and Modernity in Victor Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre-Dame This article talks about the history behind the novel, the medieval city of Paris, and the things Hugo decided to up and change about both in his novel. The actual impact of the play owed less to the plot than to the sound and beat of the verse, which was softened only in the elegiac passages spoken by Hernani and Doña Sol. Among French readers, Hugo is best known as a poet, but to readers outside of France, he’s best known for his epic novels The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Les Misérables . About Victor Hugo. Even in his own time, Hugo’s work had influence beyond just literary audiences. The novel’s biggest legacy, though, was much more than literary. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). He also published his first novel, Han d'Islande, in 1823. Victor Hugo couldn't stand the idea that so many people had fought and died for nothing, and he was determined to use art to do what war couldn't – create real social change. They had their first child, Leopold, in 1823, but he died in infancy. "Biography of Victor Hugo, French Writer." He became a leader in the Romantic Movement with several plays during this time as well. The theme touched the public consciousness more deeply than had that of his previous novel, Le Dernier Jour d’un condamné (1829; The Last Days of a Condemned), the story of a condemned man’s last day, in which Hugo launched a humanitarian protest against the death penalty. Like his hero, Hugo became both an icon of Romanticism and an involved party in politics, which eventually led to his exile from his homeland. Victor Hugo, in full Victor-Marie Hugo, (born February 26, 1802, Besançon, France—died May 22, 1885, Paris), poet, novelist, and dramatist who was the most important of the French Romantic writers. Hugo restated the problems of his century and the great and eternal human questions, and he spoke with a warmhearted eloquence and reasonableness that moved people’s souls. While Notre-Dame was being written, Louis-Philippe, a constitutional king, had been brought to power by the July Revolution. The King’s Fool), set in Renaissance France and depicting the frivolous love affairs of Francis I while revealing the noble character of his court jester. In his verse political and philosophical problems were integrated with the religious and social disquiet of the period; one poem evoked the misery of the workers, another praised the efficacy of prayer. He was buried in the Panthéon, in the same crypt as Alexandre Dumas and Émile Zola, and left 50,000 francs to the poor in his will. Hugo’s life during this period was also subject to some immense personal tragedy, which influenced his writing for some time. Poet, novelist, and dramatist Victor Hugo is considered the most important of the French Romantic writers. However, the critical establishment was much harsher, with almost universally negative reviews. He is, certainly, among the most recognizable French writers, and his works continue to be widely read, studied, and adapted in the modern day. Behind Hugo’s concern for classical form and his political inspiration, it is possible to recognize in these poems a personal voice and his own particular vein of fantasy. Her history and arts writing has been featured on Slate, HowlRound, and BroadwayWorld.​. Pourtant les critiques à son égard ne manquent pas. Hugo himself, in the voice of his narrator, describes the book thusly towards the end of the novel: “The book which the reader has before him at this moment is, from one end to the other, in its entirety and details ... a progress from evil to good, from injustice to justice, from falsehood to truth, from night to day, from appetite to conscience, from corruption to life; from bestiality to duty, from hell to heaven, from nothingness to God. Amanda Prahl is a playwright, lyricist, freelance writer, and university instructor. His childhood was coloured by his father’s constant traveling with the imperial army and by the disagreements that soon alienated his parents from one another. As such, his works largely embraced Romantic ideals of individualism, intense emotions, and a focus on heroic characters and actions. Szellemi formálódására hatással volt királypárti meggyőződésű édesanyja és tábornok apja, aki Napóleon seregében szolgált. Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Victor-Hugo, Utah Shakespeare Festival - Biography of Victor Hugo, Guernsey Museums and Galleries - Victor Hugo, Victor Hugo - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Victor Hugo drew his inspiration from everything he heard and saw, writing it down in his diary. In some cases, in his novels, Hugo’s narrative voice goes into immense detail about specific ideas or places, with intensely descriptive language. After three attempts, he was finally elected to the Académie française (a council on French arts and letters) in 1841 and spoke in defense of the Romantic Movement. Even his most famous villains—Archdeacon Frollo and Inspector Javert—are permitted inner turmoil and strong feelings. In 1881, he was honored for his contributions to French society; a street in Paris was even renamed for him and bears his name to this day. In 1866, Hugo published Les Travailleurs de la Mer (The Toilers of the Sea), which pivoted away from the themes of social justice in his previous novel. The more the president evolved toward an authoritarianism of the right, however, the more Hugo moved toward the assembly’s left. In his introduction to Les Miserables, Victor Hugo wrote: So long as laws shall exist which create Hells in the midst of civilization. In these early days—and, indeed, through much of his writing career—Hugo was heavily influenced by one of his predecessors, French writer François-René de Chateaubriand, who was one of the preeminent literary figures in the Romantic Movement and one of France's most visible writers during the early 19th century. Léopold enlisted in the army of Revolutionary Franceat fourteen, he was an atheist and an ardent supporter of th… Later in his career, Hugo became notable for his focus on themes of justice and suffering. So intense was Hugo’s creative activity during these years that he also continued to pour out plays. In this play Hugo extolled the Romantic hero in the form of a noble outlaw at war with society, dedicated to a passionate love and driven on by inexorable fate. Omissions? It was a chaotic time for Victor, continually uprooted from Paris to set out for Elba or Naples or Madrid, yet always returning to Paris with his mother, whose royalist opinions he initially adopted. Victor Hugo (1802–1885), novelist, poet, playwright, and French national icon, is best known for two of today’s most popular world classics: Les Misérables and The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, as well as other works, including The Toilers of the Sea and The Man Who Laughs. He produced three volumes of poetry: Les Châtiments in 1853, Les Contemplations in 1856, and La Légende des siècles in 1859. Les misérables -- v. 4. Hugo emerged as a true Romantic, however, with the publication in 1827 of his verse drama Cromwell. First published in 1936, the Green Book was the brainchild of a Harlem-based postal carrier named Victor Hugo Green. Although the youthful, spontaneous nature of his early poems put him on the map, Hugo’s later work soon evolved to show off his remarkable skill and craftsmanship. Victor Hugo was an influential proponent of Romanticism. It wasn’t until 1862 that this novel was published: Les Misérables. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/biography-of-victor-hugo-4775732. They were well-matched in personality and in age (Foucher was only one year younger than Hugo), but his mother strongly disapproved of their relationship. His first collection of poetry, titled Odes et poésies diverses was published when he was only 20 years old. From 1816, at least, Hugo had conceived ambitions other than the law. The novel sprawls over a few decades, interweaving stories of an escaped parolee, a dogged policeman, an abused factory worker, a rebellious young rich man, and more, all leading up to the June Rebellion of 1832, a historical populist uprising that Hugo had witnessed himself. Élete és művészete szinte teljesen átfogta a 19. századot. So long as there shall be ignorance, poverty, and wretchedness on this Earth . Victor Hugo distinguishes between a few different types of impoverished people. He addressed many poems to the glory of Napoleon, though he shared with his contemporaries the reversion to republican ideals. He had two older brothers: Abel Joseph Hugo (born 1798) and Eugène Hugo (born 1800). Hugo’s mother was primarily responsible for his upbringing, and as a result, his early education was both intensely religious and strongly biased towards pro-monarchy sentiments. In 1826, he published his second volume of poetry, this one titled Odes et Ballades. The Hugo family came from Nancy in Lorraine where Victor Hugo's grandfather was a wood merchant. Hugo’s intense grief found some mitigation in poems that later appeared in Les Contemplations, a volume that he divided into “Autrefois” and “Aujourd’hui,” the moment of his daughter’s death being the mark between yesterday and today. Corrections? Victor Hugo is remembered as a beloved writer of the people, who knew how to write with simplicity and power of common joys and sorrows. More about Victor Hugo. The renovations and restorations lasted for 20 years and included the replacement of the famous spire; the spire built during this period stood for nearly 200 years, until it was destroyed in the 2019 Notre Dame fire. A summary of Part X (Section13) in Victor Hugo's Hunchback of Notre Dame. Although he had written one other novel ( Han d'Islande, 1823), he had not really been known as a novelist. Poète, romancier, auteur de théâtre, critique, journaliste, historien, Victor Hugo est sans conteste l'un des géants de la littérature française. In 1824 he published a new verse collection, Nouvelles Odes, and followed it two years later with an exotic romance, Bug-Jargal (Eng. The novel condemns a society that, in the persons of Frollo the archdeacon and Phoebus the soldier, heaps misery on the hunchback Quasimodo and the gypsy girl Esmeralda. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading Les Miserables [with Biographical Introduction]. Author of. The poems were so admired for their elegant language and passion that they came to the attention of the king, Louis XVIII, and earned Hugo a royal pension. . Please select which sections you would like to print: While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Hugo composed a poem in honour of this event, Dicté aprés juillet 1830. His death sparked mourning across France due to his immense influence and the affection the French held for him. Hugo was one of the most notable representatives of romanticism in France, from his prose to his poetry and plays. Hugo’s first work of prose fiction was also published during this time. He supported the successful candidacy of Prince Louis-Napoléon for the presidency that year. Three prose plays followed: Lucrèce Borgia and Marie Tudor in 1833 and Angelo, tyran de Padoue (“Angelo, Tyrant of Padua”) in 1835. With the Revolution of 1848, Hugo was elected a deputy for Paris in the Constituent Assembly and later in the Legislative Assembly. It was a forerunner of much of his political verse. Hugo immediately retorted with Hernani, the first performance of which, on February 25, 1830, gained victory for the young Romantics over the Classicists in what came to be known as the battle of Hernani.