Eva Senécal
Eva Senécal was a notable poet and novelist from Quebec, Canada, active in the early to mid-twentieth century. Born to a farming family, she received her education at the École Normale of Saint-Hyacinthe and began her career as a newspaper correspondent. Senécal's literary journey took a transformative turn during her time in a sanitarium, where she began writing poetry. Her first collection, *Un Peu d'Angoisse. . . Un Peu de Fievre*, was published in 1927, followed by the acclaimed *La Course dans l'aurore*, which garnered both national and international recognition. This second collection explored themes of love and idealism, reflecting influences from French Romanticism.
In addition to her poetry, Senécal published two novels, with her first, *Dans les ombres*, earning the Prix Levesque in 1931. This work delves into complex emotional landscapes and the struggles of women with love and fidelity. After her literary career, Senécal transitioned to a government position in Ottawa and later married. Though her writing career was relatively brief, she is considered one of the pioneering French-Canadian authors to delve into feminine emotion and tragic romance, marking her significance in the literary landscape of her time.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Eva Senécal
Poet
- Born: April 20, 1905
- Died: March 14, 1988
Biography
Eva Senécal, a twentieth century poet and novelist, was born in Quebec, Canada. Her parents were Adelard Senécal, a farmer, and Octavie Beaudry Senécal. She attended the École Normale of Saint-Hyacinthe.
In 1920, after receiving a high-school education, Senécal began working as a correspondent for a local newspaper titled the Sherbrooke Tribune. In 1923, she left this job for several months, during which time she was committed to a sanitarium against her wishes. While at the sanitarium, Senécal began writing poetry.
In 1927, she published her first collection of poems titled Un Peu d’Angoisse. . . Un Peu de Fievre (a little anguish. . . a little fever). This first collection of poetry was followed by her popular title La Course dans l’aurore (the race into dawn). This work received national and international recognition, including the Salon de Poètes de Lyon prize for the poem “Vent du Nord.” In this second collection, critics noted themes such as the fragile joys provided by love and the importance of ideal visions, both suggesting the influence of the French Romantics, including Alfred de Musset and Alphonse de Lamartine. This work established Senécal’s literary career.
In addition to poetry, Senécal published two novels. Her first novel, Dans les ombres (in the shadows), received the 1931 Prix Levesque. It is noted for its portrayal of a woman who both savors the development of illicit passion and attempts to resist it. The protagonist marries her childhood love, but falls into a relationship with an American man while her husband is away. Ultimately she rejects her lover and chooses to follow her husband, promising fidelity.
Senécal’s second novel, Mon Jacques, was published in 1933. This novel would prove to be her last published work. It was less controversial than her first novel, primarily because the protagonist never gives in to forbidden passions. Instead, it plumbs the emotional depths of a woman who is forced to leave her husband when she discovers that he has a previous marriage that, due to special circumstances, cannot be ended.
In 1936, she discontinued her writing career and began employment with the Government of Canada in Ottawa, working for the Minister of Foreign Affairs and as a parliamentary translator. In 1940, she married Clifford Cole.
Although her literary career was short, Senécal was credited as one of the first French-Canadian authors to portray feminine emotion and tragic romantic passion in her writings. These themes contradicted the nationalist themes, which were favored in French Canadian literature of the time. She is classified among contemporaries Jovette-Alice Bernier, Simone Routier, and Medje Vezina as part of the feminine school of the early 1900’s.