Sully Prudhomme’s Followers (43)

Sully Prudhomme

Born

in Paris, France

March 16, 1839

Died

September 06, 1907

Genre

Poetry

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René François Armand (Sully) Prudhomme 16 March 1839 – 6 September 1907) was a French poet and essayist, winner of the first Nobel Prize in Literature, in 1901.
Born in Paris, Prudhomme originally studied to be an engineer, but turned to philosophy and later to poetry; he declared it as his intent to create scientific poetry for modern times. In character sincere and melancholic, he was linked to the Parnassus school, although, at the same time, his work displays characteristics of its own.
Prudhomme attended the Lycée Bonaparte, but eye trouble interrupted his studies. He worked for a while in the Creusot region for the Schneider steel foundry, and then began studying law in a notary's office. The favourable reception of his early poems by t René François Armand (Sully) Prudhomme 16 March 1839 – 6 September 1907) was a French poet and essayist, winner of the first Nobel Prize in Literature, in 1901.
Born in Paris, Prudhomme originally studied to be an engineer, but turned to philosophy and later to poetry; he declared it as his intent to create scientific poetry for modern times. In character sincere and melancholic, he was linked to the Parnassus school, although, at the same time, his work displays characteristics of its own.
Prudhomme attended the Lycée Bonaparte, but eye trouble interrupted his studies. He worked for a while in the Creusot region for the Schneider steel foundry, and then began studying law in a notary's office. The favourable reception of his early poems by the Conférence La Bruyère (a student society) encouraged him to begin a literary career.
His first collection, Stances et Poèmes ("Stanzas and Poems", 1865), was praised by Sainte-Beuve. It included his most famous poem, Le vase brisé. He published more poetry before the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War. This war, which he discussed in Impressions de la guerre (1872) and La France (1874), permanently damaged his health.
During his career, Prudhomme gradually shifted from the sentimental style of his first books towards a more personal style which unified the formality of the Parnassian school with his interest in philosophical and scientific subjects. The inspiration was clearly Lucretius's De rerum natura, for the first book of which he made a verse translation. His philosophy was expressed in La Justice (1878) and Le Bonheur (1888). The extreme economy of means employed in these poems has, however, usually been judged as compromising their poetical quality without advancing their claims as works of philosophy. He was elected to the Académie française in 1881. Another distinction, Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur, was to follow in 1895.
After, Le Bonheur, Prudhomme turned from poetry to write essays on aesthetics and philosophy. He published two important essays: L'Expression dans les beaux-arts (1884) and Réflexions sur l'art des vers (1892), a series of articles on Blaise Pascal in La Revue des Deux Mondes (1890), and an article on free will (La Psychologie du Libre-Arbitre, 1906) in the Revue de métaphysique et de morale.
The first writer to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature (given "in special recognition of his poetic composition, which gives evidence of lofty idealism, artistic perfection and a rare combination of the qualities of both heart and intellect"), he devoted the bulk of the money he received to the creation of a poetry prize awarded by the Société des gens de lettres. He also founded, in 1902, the Société des poètes français with Jose-Maria de Heredia and Leon Dierx.
At the end of his life, his poor health (which had troubled him ever since 1870) forced him to live almost as a recluse at Châtenay-Malabry, suffering attacks of paralysis while continuing to work on essays. He died suddenly on 6 September 1907, and was buried at Père-Lachaise in Paris. ...more

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Sully Prudhomme’s books

Average rating: 3.39 · 327 ratings · 75 reviews · 197 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Vain Tenderness 3.19 avg rating — 73 ratings — published 1875 — 41 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	POEMAS 3.41 avg rating — 39 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Les Solitudes 3.71 avg rating — 28 ratings — published 1869 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Poésies de Sully Prudhomme. 1866 - 1872: Les épreuves. - Les écuries d'Augias. - Croquis italiens. - Les solitudes. - Impressions de la guerre 3.77 avg rating — 26 ratings — published 1913 — 11 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Poemas y pensamientos 3.42 avg rating — 24 ratings — published 1983 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Stances et Poèmes 3.72 avg rating — 18 ratings — published 2014 — 12 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	NOBEL PRIZE LIBRARY PRUDHOMME 1901 2.73 avg rating — 15 ratings — published 1971	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Lyriska dikter by Sully Prudhomme, Teresia Eurén (Translator) 2.58 avg rating — 12 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Oeuvres de Sully Prudhomme Volume 4 3.25 avg rating — 8 ratings — published 2010	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Pensieri (EuropaUnita Vol. 12) (Italian Edition) 3.50 avg rating — 6 ratings — published 2011	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Quotes by Sully Prudhomme (?)

“Bleus ou noirs, tous aimés, tous beaux,
Ouverts à quelque immense aurore,
De l'autre côté des tombeaux
Les yeux qu'on ferme voient encore.”
― Sully Prudhomme

tags: death

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“Il primo che con una promessa tentò di fare per tutta la vita la felicità di una donna, e con lei la propria felicità, fu senza dubbio veramente temerario o veramente innamorato.

Colui che si ama di amicizia si desidera vederlo felice; colei che si ama di amore si vorrebbe vederla in difficoltà per tirarla fuori. La sua felicità ci è gradita solo quando ne siamo noi gli autori.

C’è egoismo nell’amore e non nell’amicizia. L’uno presta, l’altra dona.

L’amicizia fa amare la vita, l’amore dà gusto alla morte.

Le manifestazioni amorose turbano, quelle dell’amicizia rinfrescano.

L’amore è più vasto dell’amicizia poiché è capace di sostituirla; ma l’amicizia è più elevata dell’amore, perché può consolare quando l’amore si spezza.

Gli amanti si chiedono sempre la felicità, gli amici se la dànno.

L’amicizia è a se stessa la propria felicità, l’amore attende la sua. L’amore è una continua preghiera; l’amicizia un continuo scambio. L’amicizia da sola è un fatto completo.”
― Sully Prudhomme, Diario intimo / Pensieri / Poesie

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“Negli uomini più perversi c’è sempre un punto della sensibilità su cui la virtù potrebbe aver presa. Colui che lo trova opera facilmente la conversione.

Tutto ciò che è suscettibile di eccesso è fonte di male. Le virtù possono essere fraintese, ma non possono essere eccessive.

Segno di forza è non negare la virtù per il fatto che si è stati ingannati, né la felicità per il fatto che si soffre.
Un abile oratore può piacere sempre perché è sempre in grado di rivestire il proprio pensiero di ciò che può essere gradito all’uditorio; ma uno scrittore sarà generalmente amato dagli uni e odiato dagli altri. Soltanto il sublime soggioga tutti.

Quanto sono vanitosi e mentitori gli scrittori misantropi! Pubblicando le loro opere fanno loro giudici e discepoli proprio quegli stessi uomini che odiano o disprezzano.

Non capisco perché si abbia paura di ripetere due volte la stessa es
pressione in una pagina quando è permesso avere in quella pagina due volte la stessa idea. È per una questione artistica, ma quale?

Un critico non dovrebbe dire: «Ecco un cattivo libro» ma piuttosto : « Io trovo che è un cattivo libro ». L’autore sarebbe subito rassicurato.
Si scrive per passione letteraria, ma si pubblica per vanità. Colui che pretende di pubblicare per essere utile è un cattivo motteggiatore e mi sembra altrettanto fatuo il credersi utile che il credersi degno di ammirazione.”
― Sully Prudhomme, Diario intimo / Pensieri / Poesie

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