El Desdichado (Masterplots II: Poetry, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Gérard Labrunie
- First Published: 1853
- Type of Work: Sonnet
- Genres: Poetry, Sonnet
- Subjects: Mythology or myths, France or French people, Nineteenth century, Poetry or poets, Mental illness, Women, Legends, Fate or fatalism, Knights or knighthood, Chivalry
The Poem
Originally, this French sonnet was entitled “Le Destin” (the destiny), but its published title even in translation is “El Desdichado,” the Spanish words for “the unhappy one.” It is one of a series of twelve sonnets that Gérard de Nerval wrote while confined in an asylum in a state of delirium. The poem is written in the first person, and it is a part of the poet’s anguished effort to escape from the horrors of insanity into a state of comfort, represented by women, and to evaluate his poetic talent.
Nerval’s blending of mysticism and personal...
[The entire page is 1484 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
See Also
