French poet Paul Eluard: biography and creativity

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Among the French poets of the 20th century, there are many truly talented individuals. Despite the fact that historical events in Europe “undermined” the need of people for high-quality and new literature, groups of creative individuals were able to create new art, which eventually found approval among the people.

One of the creators of the “new literature” was Paul Eluard. The poet survived many tragedies, but did not stop on the way to his main goals - the creation of new views on life and the improvement of linguistic forms. What Paul Eluard became famous for, where he was born, what he lived for, his creative successes and personal failures - all this must be known to a lover of classical French literature.

Young years of the poet

Eugène-Émile-Paul Grendel (pseudonym Paul Eluard) was born December 14, 1895 in Saint-Denis, France. Already in 1908, thanks to the profitable deals of Paul's father, who was engaged in real estate, the family moved to Paris. In general, the Grendels lived in abundance, could afford good housing and recreation, although they were not very rich.

Eugène-Emile-Paul grew upsmart kid with a lot of potential. He enters the higher elementary academy without any problems, receives a certificate with high scores. I plan to continue my studies and have a wonderful career.

But a problem-free future undermined his he alth: in 1912, during a trip to Switzerland, the future great poet was diagnosed with pulmonary insufficiency, then tuberculosis. I had to quit my studies and go to a sanatorium until 1914. But, despite the he alth problems, the period turns out to be quite prosperous, and Paul Eluard meets his future wife, Elena Dyakonova. Paul liked the beautiful, intelligent, smart girl at first sight.

The girl immediately wins Paul's heart, and he begins to write his first works. As the poet later says, the first poems were filled with youthful maximalism, were written clumsily, but sensually. At the same time, the first collection appears, which Eluard issues at his own expense.

“Gala”, as Elena Eluard affectionately calls, is forced to leave for Russia. The lovers wanted to get married, but Paul's mother was against such a union. In the future, this woman will influence the poet, and become the main muse. Although creativity is always in the first place, Paul Eluard considered family to be in second place. The photos that have survived to this day indicate that he put self-realization in the first place.

War - as a new stage of creativity

In 1914, Eluard was mobilized to the front. For several years, due to he alth problems, Paul is forced to “sit out” in the hospital. There he first meets the war“face to face”, begins to think about his life.

Until 1917, Eluard never got to the front. Bad he alth makes itself felt; it cannot be useful for the army. Then his new works appear, which combine youthful dreams and the hard rock of war. Even a small notebook of poems “Debt” is being published, where Paul for the first time signs with the pseudonym Eluard - the surname of his grandmother.

The poet gets to the front for only a few weeks, where, due to poor conditions, he begins to have he alth complications. This experience was forever imprinted in the memory of the poet and influenced him. Paul understood that a new era was coming, he understood the difference between the life of a soldier in the trenches and a soldier at home.

New post-war era

In 1917, Gala returns to France, and Paul finally takes her as his wife. Elena and military memories become the main inspirers of the poet, give him the desire to live. A year later, a daughter, Cecile, is born in the family, and Paul releases the collection Poems for Peacetime.

Post-war France does not inspire hope among the intelligentsia. Representatives of art either adapted to the new foundations and popular trends, or “sank into the ages”. The language and culture of periodicals became standardized, and there was a need for something new.

Dadaism in the work of Eluard

Soon Paul Eluard "finds himself" among the representatives of the "Dada" society. People with similar fates gathered here, those who were interested in the cultural development of France and Europe. There, the future great poet could find not only loved onesyourself in the spirit of acquaintances, but also start literary experiments.

Soon, Paul will start publishing his own magazine called “Proverbe” (Proverbe). Many of his works are published there, as well as the works of other Dadaists. But relations with colleagues deteriorate, their views differ, and in 1924 Paul, after a fight with one of the members of the group, ceases his activities in Dada, although for many years he remains the ideological inspirer of the group.

The period of surreal creativity

In 1924, a dark streak begins in the life of Eluard. Problems in the family, quarrels with parents, the absence of “comrades-in-arms” in the work have a bad effect on the mood of the poet, and he decides to leave for Marseille. After the publication of "Dying because you do not die", he abruptly leaves without warning anyone, and even his closest relatives, including his wife, consider him dead.

After six months of traveling around the world, after a letter to him, his wife arrives in Asia with Max Ernst, and after arriving home, Paul joins the “Corpse” group. The worldviews of the pamphleteers, who considered surrealism to be the ideal work of the future, pleased the writer and revealed new boundaries of his poetry and prose.

Over time, Europe learned that Paul Eluard is a French poet worthy of being called a great one. His personality inspired people to revolutions, his works found new admirers every day, and Paul himself found new, unusual and even strange facets of his skill.

Love triangle: Eluard, Gala and Dali

Witnesses of that era claim that Paul's relationship with his wife was unusual. Both were free from each other, but, at the same time, remained together for many years. They say that Paul and Gala even openly cheated on each other, but at the same time, they were faithful to their family.

In 1929, Gala and Paul went to a new acquaintance of the poet - Salvador Dali. Paul Eluard himself wanted to introduce his wife to a genius, but he had no idea that the acquaintance would turn into a love triangle. Feelings between Dali and Gala appeared almost immediately, and this new union benefited both.

Paul Eluard, although he was saddened by the departure of his wife, did not make scandals and tantrums. He just left, going on a trip around the world. In the future, Salvador Dali will even draw a portrait of Paul and thank him for the new "muse". Soon it will turn out that Gala will really help Dali develop his talent and reach the heights of creativity. Paul Eluard, whose biography was already full of various unsuccessful moments, hardly survived this parting.

Eluard's new love

Paul is not left alone for long, and soon the role of the “main muse” is occupied by Maria Benz, a dancer, singer and writer under the pseudonym Noush. She differed from the intelligent Gala in her modesty, simplicity and calmness. Nush had a rather difficult fate, which was reflected in her behavior. Born and raised in a family of itinerant artists, she knew all the "charms" of street life.

Nush discovered new facets of Paul's talent, brought to hiscreativity is a new concept of the word “love”. For a long 16 years, Nush remained the center of the poet's spiritual universe. Love dies when Noush suddenly dies in a Parisian street in 1934.

World War II period

Even before Nazi Germany started the military conflict, Paul had a negative attitude towards the regime. In his opinion, it is important to maintain equality in the state. In 1939, the poet was mobilized to the front against Hitler.

At the front, he not only discovered new facets of talent by releasing several books of patriotic poetry, but also showed himself as an underground worker. For many years, Paul's main task was to liberate France from the invaders and restore peace on its territory.

From 1942, in France, mass executions of adherents of the communist regime began, and Paul became a member of the communist party. The desire to get rid of fascist oppression became the main thing in the life of the poet, and was reflected in the lyrics. Patriotic literature has become a new facet of the work of Paul Eluard, and France's hope for liberation. Paul Eluard, whose work has gone through many changes, remained in the memory of France, mainly as a revolutionary poet, a fighter for freedom.

Last years of life

Nush's death affected the poet. He was left alone in this world and did not find himself in it. For a while, he even contemplated suicide. The war ended, the muse died and Paul did not find himself in this world. For many years his works were filled with spiritualsorrow bordering on patriotic joy for their state.

He meets his last love, Dominica, shortly before his death. In 1952, at the age of 57, the poet died of a heart attack. Paul Eluard, whose years of life fell on difficult times for the country, left a great cultural legacy in the history of France.

Paul Eluard: interesting facts from the biography

• After the death of the poet, thousands of Parisians saw him off on his last journey.
• In 1952, Eluard performed in Moscow at the anniversary of Victor Hugo.
• Won the Peace Prize in 1952.
• Until the end of his days, Paul corresponded with his ex-wife, in the hope that she would return to him. She, out of respect for her ex-husband, did not marry Dali until the death of the poet.
• After meeting Picasso, Paul wrote the work "The Victory of Guernica".
• Flyers with a work by Paul Edouard were dropped by plane over Paris during World War II.