The Washington times., 1894-08-12
HE WAS A POETS POET.
Leconte do Isle One Of the GIoriss q
French Letters-victor Hugo

French Letters-victor Hugo
an Admirer.
Charles Marie Rene Leconte de Lisle.
whose death has Just taken place In Paris,
was one of the great poets whom poets have
worshiped in chapel. The people know
him even less than Ronsard, Alfred de vigny,
and Stephane Mallarme.
His life, simple and grave as the entabla-
ture of Greek temple, began at St. Paul, in
the French island Of Reunion, October %,
1918. He went to Paris in 1S47 and was as
sociated with the republicans who over
turned the monarchy of Louis Philippe.
He published, In 1858, "Poemes Antiques"
in 1855, "Poemes ct Poesies;'' in 1858, Poe
sizes Completes" in 1862, "Poemes Barbares;"
in 1884, ''Poemes Tragiques," works sculp-
tural in form, intensely origin al and moderl
in style, yet epic and implacable in their se.
renity.
He translated into French with almost abb
solute precision and exactness the Idylls Of
Theocritus" and the "Odes of Anacreon" in
1861, the "Iliad" in 1866" the odyssey" In
1867, '.Hesiod'' in 1869, "Orphic Hymns" In
1862 "Eschylus'' in 1872, Horace in 1878,
"Sophocles'' in 1877.
He produced at the Odeon playhouse, in
January, 1873, Les Erinnyes." tragedy In
two parts, with an introduction and inter-
medes by Massenet, and in 1888 "L'Apollon-
ide," lyrical drama in three parts and five
tableaux, with music by Francois Servals.
He published anonymously in 1871 a popular
republican catechism and a popular history
OF Christianity.
He was poor. He had in his youth the
dignity of misery earned by faithfulness to an
elevated ideal, and in his youth the men Of
genius in France were poor. The fashion
has changed, but he was not fashionable. In
1866 he received the Jean Reynaud premium
OF 10000 francs from the Academic Francaise.
In 1873 he was a candidate for election at the
Academic Franchise. There were only two
votes cast for him. hut they were cast by
Victor Hugo and by Auguste Barber. At
every subsequent election they voted for him.
After Barbier's death there was only one
academic voice In favor of Leconte de Lisle,
but it was heard invariably at every session
until 1886. and it was Hugo's. Then Hugo
died and Leconte de Lisle was unanimously
elected as his successor. In 1873 he was ap-
pointed librarian Of the Luxembourg Palace
Library.
His salary as a librarian and his fees as an
academician were his only income. Only
artists read his books. A novelist. now an
academician-he was young then and is re-
gretful now-said 10 him one day: "You have
bought superb fur cloak with your fees as
an academiclan." He replied: with my fees
as an academician. for am not novelist; I
am only poet"
When Hugo was IN exile Leconte de Lisle
had his place in the center of the circle of ar
dent lovers of art VINO published lie Parnasse
Cantemporain. They were designated as
..Parnassiens Their work is lmmovable.
but new circles which were derived from
theirs criticise it adversely at the periodical
outbreaks Of litery fervor among the students
OF the Latin quarter. Three years ago Le-
conte de Lisle rebuked Anatole France for
taking the students seriously. Anatols
France objected. Leconte de Lisle replied
that his seconds were ready to meet those of
Anatole France. and the latter said: Must
recall to him that he is one of the glories of
France, and that l have never failed in the
respect that is due to him?"
Leconte de Lisie was not specially one OF
the glories of France but one of the glories Of
poetry. purely and simply. Artists and
critics who do not think that there is an evo-
luton III the art Of poems. or that there are
ordinary limitations applicable to them, es-
TEEN him as an artist of beauty for the
sake of beauty and the vision at once real
and synbolical of his ''Epiphanie" contains
in their view some of the most admirable
lines which were ever written.
He made n new revelation of beauty, oD-
serves a critic. writing of the poet in the New
York Times. He evoked in poems the sub
jecis of which were as far as possible from the
manners of our time. in ''kain." which is
model epic. and in a series of descriptions,
HIndoo, Hebraic, Greek. and Scandinavian.
splendid images. ancient Inclinations of
thought and abolished civilizations. His
works are statues and fgurines, plastic in
form. beautiful Independently of all moral
judgment, without hatred or love for
nature or the acts of men. and they can
not be popular. since the sensational is the
popular life. but they are eternal. and from
all literature one may enchantingly revert to
them.