Patrice de La Tour du Pin
Patrice de La Tour du Pin was a French poet born on March 16, 1911, in Paris, into a family with a rich heritage. His father, a member of the French nobility, was killed in World War I, leaving La Tour du Pin to be raised by his mother and grandmother. He pursued his education at prestigious institutions, including the College of Sainte-Croixe and the École de Sciences Politiques, where he honed his poetic voice. His literary career began with the publication of his first work in 1926, but his significant recognition came with the 1933 release of "La Quête de joie," which explores a spiritual journey in the French countryside.
La Tour du Pin's poetry is noted for its challenge to Symbolist ideals while steering clear of Surrealism. His experiences during World War II, including military service and captivity, did not deter his creative spirit; he continued to write poetry even while imprisoned. Throughout his life, he produced several volumes of poetry, ultimately defining his work as théopoésie, merging poetic aesthetics with spiritual themes. He played a notable role in the restructuring of the French Catholic liturgy following the Second Vatican Council. La Tour du Pin passed away on October 28, 1975, and his literary contributions were recognized posthumously, leading to the establishment of a society dedicated to his work.
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Patrice de La Tour du Pin
- Born: March 16, 1911
- Birthplace: Paris, France
- Died: October 28, 1975
- Place of death: Paris, France
Biography
Patrice de La Tour du Pin was born on March 16, 1911, in Paris, the son of Brigitte O’Connor, descended from a distinguished Irish family, and François La Tour du Pin, a member of a noble family. His father was killed at the Battle of the Marne in 1914. La Tour du Pin, his sister, and brother were brought up by their mother and grandmother, with the family moving between Paris and the family estate of Bignon-Mirabeau. He studed at the College of Sainte-Croixe in Neuilly-sur-Seine and at the Lycée Janson-de-Sailly. By the time he attended the École de Sciences Politiques, he was already committed to a life as a poet.
La Tour du Pin’s first publication was a joint effort with his cousin, Louis d’Hendecourt, Lys et violettes: Premiers essais de deux jeunes cousins, privately printed in 1926. In 1931, the important journal Nouvelle revue française published La Tour du Pin’s poem “Les Enfants de Septembre.” La Tour du Pin’s first truly important work, La Quête de joie, was privately published in 1933, and was critically well received. The poems of La Quête de joie are interrelated and comprise a spiritual journey, set in the French countryside. During the next few years, La Tour du Pin published several more poems, most notably sections of his long work, Une Somme de poésie. The French reading public as well as critics saw La Tour du Pin as a young poet who challenged Symbolist ideals while remaining untouched by Surrealism.
During World War II, La Tour du Pin served in the military and was wounded. Taken prisoner by German forces, he spent three years in Germany as a prisoner of war. Nevertheless, he continued to study and write poetry during his confinement. He was released in 1942 and returned to France, where he married his cousin, Anne de Pierre de Bernis Calvière, in 1943.
In 1946, a nine-book single volume edition of Une Somme de poésie was published, to be followed in 1959 with the second volume, Une Somme de poésie: Le Second jeu, and in 1963 by Une Somme de poésie III, première partie: Petit Théâtre crépusculaire. He called the poems of these volumes théopoésie, or theopoetry, poetry that combines poetic aesthetics with spiritual exploration. As a result of this work, La Tour du Pin was asked to help with the translation of the Latin Missal into French, a task required by the Second Vatican Council of the Catholic Church.
La Tour du Pin spent the rest of his life revising his earlier work; he died on October 28, 1975. By 1981, scholars recognized the importance of his contributions to French literature and organized a Société des Amis de Partrice de La Tour du Pin. Perhaps his greatest accomplishment was his role in restructuring the entire French Catholic liturgy.