About
Renée Vivien, born Pauline Mary Tarn in London in 1877, was a British poet who wrote exclusively in French. Settled in Paris, she adopted the pseudonym Renée Vivien in 1901. Associated with Symbolism and Parnassianism, she was known for her sonnets and use of the hendecasyllable. Nicknamed 'Sappho 1900' for her openly lesbian identity, she published a translation of Sappho's fragments. Her major collections include Études et Préludes, Cendres et Poussières, and À l'heure des mains jointes. She died in Paris in 1909 at age 32.
* 1877-06-11 — † 1909-11-18
Major works
- Études et Préludes (1901)poetry collection
- Cendres et Poussières (1902)poetry collection
- Sapho (1903)translation
- Une femme m'apparut… (1904)novel
- À l'heure des mains jointes (1906)poetry collection
Key milestones
- 1901Adopted the pseudonym Renée Vivien
- 1904Auguste Rodin sculpted her bust
- 1909Died in Paris at age 32
Themes
lesbian loveGreek mythologymelancholynaturespirituality
Sources: id.loc.gov · britannica.com · brooklynmuseum.org