Alfred de Vigny Criticism
Alfred de Vigny (1797–1863) emerges as a pivotal figure in the French Romantic movement, known for his poetic innovation and philosophical depth. Despite being overshadowed by contemporaries like Victor Hugo and Alphonse de Lamartine, Vigny's contributions to literature, particularly in poetry, drama, and prose, have garnered significant attention from scholars. His body of work, characterized by stoical pessimism and a deep exploration of themes such as divine indifference, fate, and the isolation of the poet, remains influential in the study of 19th-century French literature.
Vigny's poetry, particularly Les destinées: Poèmes philosophiques, is celebrated for its philosophical content and vivid imagery, though some critics note an uneven quality across his works. His historical novel Cinq-Mars, initially popular, faced scrutiny for its simplistic historical thesis and character development, as discussed by Keith Wren. Alongside his poetry, Vigny's dramatic contributions, such as Chatterton, are acclaimed for their profound examination of the artist's plight in a materialistic society, a topic further elaborated by Robin Buss.
His prose works, including Stello and The Military Necessity, delve into the existential struggles of poets and soldiers. Robert Nugent interprets Stello as a revolt against rationalism, illustrating Vigny's philosophical leanings. Despite personal disillusionments and a retreat from public life, Vigny's translation of Shakespeare's Othello and his influential preface left a lasting impact on French theater.
Critics like Martha Noel Evans praise his poem "La maison du berger" for its introspective exploration of self-consciousness, while J.C. Ireson highlights Vigny's experiments with poetic form as integral to his artistic identity. Themes of alienation and the decline of spiritual values characterize his later works, embodying a philosophical exploration of Romanticism's ideals.
The critical reception of Vigny's work remains varied. Laurence M. Porter notes Vigny's use of gesture and posture to enhance the symbolic depth of his poetry. However, J.M. McGoldrick criticizes "Le Mont des Oliviers" for its lack of unity, although Albert Thibaudet appreciates the luminosity of his poems overall. Scholars like Harry Kurz commend Vigny's imaginative spirit, and W.N. Ince acknowledges his greatness, suggesting that his shortcomings highlight the high standards set by his strongest works.
Contents
- Principal Works
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Vigny, Alfred (Victor) de (Nineteenth-Century Literary Criticism)
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Alfred de Vigny: Poet
(summary)
In the following anonymous essay, the critic reviews Vigny's career and works.
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Vigny's Stello and Existential Freedom
(summary)
In the following essay, Nugent interprets Vigny's Stello as a romantic and existential revolt against rationalism.
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Exploitation of the Body in Vigny's Chatterton: The Economy of Drama and the Drama of Economics
(summary)
In the following essay, Cooper explores references to the body as they contribute to an economic analysis of Chatterton.
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A Suitable Case for Treatment: Ideological Confusion in Vigny's Cinq-Mars
(summary)
In the following essay, Wren critiques the political thesis of Vigny's novel Cinq-Mars, contending that it is weakened by the author's inability to find in Cardinal Richelieu a suitable historical persona to satisfy his view of French history.
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Mirror Images in ‘La Maison du berger’
(summary)
In the following essay, Evans studies Vigny's poem “La Maison du berger” in the context of psychoanalytic theories of self-consciousness and reflection.
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Vigny: Chatterton
(summary)
In the following excerpt, Buss considers Chatterton as a dramatic defense of the poet and his purpose in an otherwise materialist society, and continues by assessing the influence of this “drama of ideas” on subsequent literature.
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Poetry
(summary)
In the following excerpt, Ireson surveys Vigny's adaptation of the short, eighteenth-century heroic poem as a vehicle for the representation of modern values.
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Vigny's Post-Structuralist Novel: Writing History or the Story of Writing?
(summary)
In the following essay, Craven probes the post-structuralist implications of Vigny's historical novel Cinq-Mars by discerning the work's concern with history as a form of fictive literature and its demonstration of meaning subverted via the medium of writing.
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Vigny's ‘Le Mont des Oliviers’ and Amos
(summary)
In the following essay, McGoldrick describes the influence of the Old Testament on Vigny's poem “Le Mont des Oliviers” and, by implication, his other late poetry.
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Alfred de Vigny's ‘La Colère de Samson’ and Solar Myth
(summary)
In the following essay, Duncan details Vigny's mythologizing of his personal feelings of feminine betrayal in the poem “La Colère de Samson.”
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The Relation of History to Literature in Vigny's Thought before the Preface to Cinq-Mars
(summary)
In the following essay, Jensen discusses Vigny's thoughts on the close relationship of history and literature as represented in his historical novel Cinq-Mars and its apologetic preface.
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Alfred de Vigny: Poet
(summary)
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Vigny, Alfred (Victor) de (Poetry Criticism)
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The Function of La colère de Samson
(summary)
In the following essay, Doolittle argues that 'La colère de Samson' belongs in the thematic progression of Les destinées as a representation of one stage of 'the gradual emergence of spirit from the matrix of tradition and substance.'
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The Centenary of a Poet
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In the following excerpt, Kurz provides an overview of Vigny's poetic achievements.
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Vigny's View of History
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In the following excerpt, Kushner surveys Vigny's poetic examination of historical progress and his search for "the collective destiny of mankind."
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Alfred de Vigny's Conception of Esthetics
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In the following essay, Gullace examines the tension in Vigny 's aesthetic between poetry as a means for philosophical inquiry and poetry as an expression of emotion.
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Some Simple Reflections on the Poetry of Alfred de Vigny
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In the following essay, Ince argues that Vigny is, most essentially, a didactic poet whose chief fault is a tendency toward 'overt moralizing.'
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Jesus as Romantic Hero: Le Mont des Oliviers
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In the following essay, Bishop defends the coherence of Vigny 's portrait of Christ in Le Mont des Oliviers, arguing that Christ in the poem shares the religious doubts of Vigny and his contemporaries as well as their continuing need to believe.
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Alfred de Vigny and the Poetic Experience: From Alienation to Renascence
(summary)
In the following essay, Majewski describes the transformation of Vigny's conception of the poet in society: from the portrait of the poet as a scapegoat and a victim in Stello to the poet as spiritual leader in 'La Maison du Berger.'
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The Double Register of "Les Destinées"
(summary)
In the following essay, Haig analyzes the ambiguous imagery in Les Destinées of the relationship between humanity and the divine and concludes that the poem affirms Vigny's conviction "that hope is cruel folly."
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Symbolic Gesture in Vigny's 'Poëme'
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In the following excerpt, Porter examines Vigny's 'visual sensitivity' and traces his use of gesture and posture to illustrate character in his symbolic poetry
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Poetry
(summary)
In the following excerpt, Ireson examines the relationship between French Romantic poetry and Vigny 's experiments with poetic form.
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The Setting in Vigny's 'La Mort du Loup'
(summary)
In the following essay, McGoldrick shows how Vigny uses contrasting effects to construct the setting of 'La Mort du Loup' so it contributes to the plot.
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Alfred de Vigny's 'La Colère de Samson' and Solar Myth
(summary)
In the following essay, Duncan examines how Vigny combines elements of celestial mythology with psychological realism to add a 'mythic dimension' to a story of romantic betrayal.
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The Function of La colère de Samson
(summary)
- Further Reading