Octave Crémazie
Octave Crémazie, born Claude-Joseph-Olivier Crémazie in Quebec City in 1827, is recognized as a significant figure in French Canadian literature and a national poet of Quebec. The eleventh of twelve children, he initially ventured into business by opening a successful bookstore with his brother in 1844, which also served as a cultural hub through the sale of imported books and artifacts. His passion for literature led him to co-found L'Institut Canadien de Quebec in 1848, an organization dedicated to promoting the arts and culture. Crémazie’s poetry often focused on themes of nationalism, celebrating the early settlers and the cultural heritage of Quebec, which positioned him as a key figure in the Romantic literary movement in Canada. Despite his rising prominence, financial troubles and a scandal regarding his bookstore led him to flee to Paris in 1862, where he spent the remainder of his life in relative obscurity, although he continued to document contemporary events, such as the Franco-Prussian War. Today, Octave Crémazie is viewed as an inspirational figure in Quebec’s literary history, noted for his contributions to the development of French Canadian poetry and for fostering a sense of national identity through his work.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Octave Crémazie
Poet
- Born: April 16, 1827
- Birthplace: Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
- Died: January 16, 1879
- Place of death: Le Havre, France
Biography
Claude-Joseph-Olivier Crémazie (better known as Octave Crémazie) was born in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, in 1827, and was educated primarily in Quebec. Crémazie was named after the bishop of Quebec, Joseph-Octave Plessis, for whom his mother had particular respect. The eleventh of twelve children, Crémazie entered into business with his brother Joseph in 1844, establishing a bookstore which went on to become quite successful, eventually selling imported books, artifacts, and food delicacies from France. Crémazie pored over the store’s rare books, increasing his social perceptiveness and wisdom. His reading spurred him to help found L’Institut Canadien de Quebec, an organization promoting the arts and culture, in 1848.
Crémazie gained a reputation as a national poet of Quebec by writing on traditional and patriotic topics such as the early settlers, soldiers, and missionaries who helped establish and protect the land. By embracing Catholicism, creating nationalist nostalgia, and writing in traditional verse forms, Crémazie established himself as one of the premier Romantic poets of Canada. He was part of the Literary Movement of 1860 in Canada and helped create literary journals with some of his contemporaries who also wrote about national heritage.
However, in 1862, burdened by debts the bookstore had accumulated for many years and the prospect of an inquiry into allegedly forging creditors’ signatures, Crémazie fled to Paris. He lived in exile in Paris for the final sixteen years of his life, working in trade but no longer a significant literary figure. He did write daily reports on the Franco-Prussian War in his journal shortly before his death in 1879. Although sometimes considered clichéd, Crémazie has remained an inspirational poet in his homeland of Quebec, where he is revered as one of the legendary innovators of French Canadian literature.