About
Jean-Joseph Rabearivelo, born Joseph-Casimir Rabearivelo in 1901 in Tananarive, was a Malagasy writer and poet. Self-taught, he left school in 1915 and educated himself through reading French literature and traditional Malagasy oral poetry. Working as a proofreader at the Imprimerie de l'Imerina from 1924, he published his first collection, La Coupe de cendres, the same year. His work, marked by symbolism and then surrealism, culminated in Traduit de la nuit (1935). Founder of the journal New Progress in 1931, he is considered Africa's first modern poet and the father of modern Malagasy literature. He committed suicide in 1937.
* 1901-03-04 — † 1937-06-23
Major works
- La Coupe de cendres (1924)poetry collection
- Sylves (1927)poetry collection
- Volumes (1928)poetry collection
- Presque-Songes (1934)poetry collection
- Traduit de la nuit (1935)poetry collection
Key milestones
- 1931Founded the literary journal New Progress to promote Malagasy-language poetry.
- 1937Committed suicide by cyanide poisoning on June 22, at the age of 36.
- 1960Declared Madagascar's national poet upon independence.
Themes
cultural identitymelancholynaturedeathmodernism
Sources: britannica.com · ascleiden.nl