Marceline Desbordes-Valmore Criticism
Marceline Desbordes-Valmore, a prominent French poet and a key figure in the Romantic movement, is often celebrated for her evocative exploration of themes such as motherhood, family, and female autonomy. Despite facing marginalization in her era due to these "feminine" themes, her work has earned enduring critical acclaim. Her poetry is distinguished by its rich natural imagery, reflecting the beauty of her native Douai, and is renowned for its depth of emotion and exploration of the human condition, particularly in the context of women and children. Notable works include Les Pleurs and the posthumous Poésies inédites, which is often considered her masterpiece.
As detailed in her biography, Desbordes-Valmore's life was marked by hardship and resilience, including personal tragedies and a peripatetic lifestyle due to her husband's acting career. She began her career as an actress and singer, later focusing solely on writing, notably after publishing her first poem in 1807. Her literary output includes novels, children's stories, and poetry collections that often feature social and imaginative themes centered around children, autonomy, and the natural world.
Desbordes-Valmore's relationship with the poetic canon, particularly as a woman writer, is complex and has been the subject of critical examination, as noted in Marceline Desbordes-Valmore and the Engendered Canon. Her poetry often transcends gender stereotypes, as argued by Laurence M. Porter, who highlights her elegies. Additionally, themes of maternal creativity are discussed by Simone D. Ferguson. Critical reception during her life included both admiration and condescension, but modern critics recognize her influence on Symbolist poetics and her subversive commentary on gender norms, as discussed in works by Edward K. Kaplan and Anne E. McCall. Her influence extends to esteemed poets like Verlaine and Rimbaud, affirming her lasting impact on French literature.
Contents
- Principal Works
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Essays
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Marceline Desbordes-Valmore and the Engendered Canon
(summary)
In the following essay, Danahy explores Desbordes-Valmore's relationship as a woman writer to the highly gendered poetic canon.
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Marceline Desbordes-Valmore (1786-1859)
(summary)
In the following essay, Danahy offers a summary of Desbordes-Valmore's life and work.
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Poetess or Strong Poet? Gender Stereotypes and the Elegies of Marceline Desbordes-Valmore
(summary)
In the following essay, Porter argues that Desbordes-Valmore's elegies in many cases transcend the gender stereotypes usually associated with female poets of the nineteenth century.
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Woman as Creator: Marceline Desbordes-Valmore's Transformation of the Lyric
(summary)
In the following essay, Ferguson evaluates Desbordes-Valmore's poetic vision of mothers and children.
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The Voices of Marceline Desbordes-Valmore: Deference, Self-Assertion, Accountability
(summary)
In the following essay, Kaplan examines gender-related and political themes in Desbordes-Valmore's poetry.
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Monuments of the Maternal: Reflections on the Desbordes-Valmore Correspondence
(summary)
In the following essay, McCall describes the gender dynamics of female epistolary writing illustrated by Desbordes-Valmore's Correspondance intime.
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Desbordes-Valmore, Lamartine, and Poetic Motherhood
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In the following essay, Boutin compares late nineteenth-century essentialist interpretations of Desbordes-Valmore's poetry and that of Alphonse de Lamartine.
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Marceline Desbordes-Valmore and the Engendered Canon
(summary)
- Further Reading