About
André Marie de Chénier, born in Constantinople in 1762, was a French poet. Educated in Paris, he traveled to Italy and absorbed classical antiquity. As a embassy secretary in London, he became a journalist during the Revolution, advocating for a constitutional monarchy. Arrested in 1794, he was guillotined three days before the fall of Robespierre. His poems, published posthumously, blend ancient inspiration with modern sensibility, making him a precursor of Romanticism.
* 1762-10-28 — † 1794-07-25
Major works
- Bucoliquespoetry collection
- Élégiespoetry collection
- Iambessatirical poems
- La Jeune Captivepoem
Key milestones
- 1778Won first prize in French discourse at the Concours général.
- 1794Arrested on March 7, guillotined on July 25 in Paris.
- 1819Posthumous publication of his complete works by Henri de Latouche.
Themes
Classical antiquityFrench RevolutionLiberty and tyrannyDeath and immortalityNostalgia and melancholy
Sources: id.loc.gov · oxfordreference.com