About
Paul Valéry, born in Sète in 1871, is a major figure in French literature. After studying law, he underwent a creative crisis in 1892 that turned him away from poetry for nearly twenty years, during which he devoted himself to the study of consciousness and intellectual methods. He returned to poetry with 'La Jeune Parque' (1917) and 'Charmes' (1922), which includes 'The Graveyard by the Sea'. Elected to the Académie française in 1925, he was appointed professor of poetics at the Collège de France in 1937. His 'Cahiers', published posthumously, bear witness to his daily reflections. He died in Paris in 1945 and is buried in the seaside cemetery of Sète.
* 1871-10-28 — † 1945-07-20
Major works
- La Jeune Parque (1917)poem
- Charmes (1922)poetry collection
- Variété (1924)essays
- Regards sur le monde actuel (1931)essays
- Tel quel (1941)essays
Key milestones
- 1892Creative crisis that turned him away from poetry for nearly twenty years.
- 1925Elected to the Académie française.
- 1937Appointed professor of poetics at the Collège de France.
Themes
consciousnessintellectual methodpoetrytime and memorylanguage
Sources: college-de-france.fr · britannica.com · poets.org