François Coppée
François Coppée (1842–1908) was a notable French writer born in Paris, who made significant contributions to poetry, drama, and prose. He began his literary journey in the 1860s as part of the Parnassian movement, gaining recognition with his first collection, "Le Reliquaire," published in 1866. Over his career, he produced various works including narrative poems, verse plays, and short stories, with his play "Severo Torelli" often regarded as his masterpiece. Coppée's writing is characterized by its simplicity, vividness, and emotional depth, focusing on themes such as love, patriotism, and the struggles of the poor.
In addition to his creative work, he served as a librarian at the Comédie-Française and received prestigious accolades, including the cross of the Legion of Honor and election to the French Academy. Later in life, he experienced a religious conversion that influenced his political views, aligning himself with nationalist movements. Despite facing personal hardships in his final years, Coppée remained committed to nurturing young talent in poetry. He passed away on May 23, 1908, leaving behind a legacy of lyrical and idyllic poetry, as well as impactful short stories.
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Subject Terms
François Coppée
Poet
- Born: January 26, 1842
- Birthplace: Paris, France
- Died: May 23, 1908
Biography
François Edouard Joachim Coppée was born in Paris, France, on January 26, 1842, to a father who was a civil servant and to a mother who was said to be “most attentive.” He studied for a few years at the Lycee Saint- Louis, but he had to leave the school before graduating so that he might assist his family financially. He completed his education through private study.
In 1863 he joined a group of poets later to be known as the Parnassians. Three years later, he published his first collection of verses, Le Reliquaire. His first play, Le Passant, was produced in 1869.
His appointment as assistantlibrarian at the senate, procured through the influence of Princesse Mathilde, allowed him to devote himself to literature. From 1871 to 1885, he was librarian at the Comedie Française. During this time, he was awarded the cross of the Legion of Honor (1876) and was elected to the French Academy (1884).
Coppée continued to write verse and drama, although the outpouring of the former became more modest in his later years. His narrative poems—Le Reliquaire (1866), Les Intimités (1868), and Les Humbles (1872)—present picturesque studies of contemporary life. Of his verse plays, Severo Torelli (1883) is considered his masterpiece. Le Pater, a play which deals with an episode of the Commune and which was long forbidden by the government, became a success in 1890.
His first story in prose, Une Idylle Pendant le Siege, appeared in 1875. Several volumes followed: Contes en Prose (1882), Vingt Contes Nouveaux (1883), and Contes Rapides (1889). Simplicity, truth, and vividness in the portrayal of familiar scenes have recommended his stories to readers worldwide.
A series of reprinted short articles on miscellaneous subjects appeared between 1893 and 1896. La Bonne Souffrance, born of his reconversion to the Roman Catholic Church, was published and well received in 1898. This latter work signaled not only a religious but a political renewal or reassignment of energies as he moved from a passive to a violently active position in public affairs. He joined the most violent section of the Nationalist movement while retaining contempt for the apparatus of democracy. Coppée was one of the originators of the notorious Ligue de la Patrie Française.
In his verse and in his prose, Coppée was concerned with the plainest expression of human emotion, with elemental patriotism, with the joy of young love, and with the sad plight of the poor. He will be remembered for his lyric and his idyllic poetry as well as for his short stories. The last years of Coppée’s life were filled with suffering. In 1907, he gave the French Academy a sum yielding two hundred dollars annually to be awarded as prize money for young poets. He died on May 23, 1908.