Comparison Of Victor Hugo's 'Chaseaubriand Or Nothing'?

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POETRY

Victor started his literary career with lofty ambitions. He idolized François-René de Chateaubriand, who is considered the founder of French Romanticism. According to the Victor Hugo Encyclopedia, written by John Andrew Frey, the author of multiple books about Hugo, Victor claimed he wanted to be “Chateaubriand or nothing”. Today the name Chateaubriand is more recognizable as the name of a beef dish than a French writer, diplomat, politician and historian. Because of this, some argue that not only did Victor Hugo become as famous as his idol, but he surpassed him by far. Hugo did align with Chateaubriand, however, in the way he embraced the French Romanticism that Chateaubriand had brought to the world. Hugo’s poetry not only embodied the …show more content…

In this last stanza, it is revealed that the destination is not a person, but the memory of one. Les Contemplations, of which this poem is a part, was written in grief of the death of Hugo’s daughter, Léopoldine. Because of this we know that this poem is connected to Hugo is a personal way by describing a visit to his daughter’s grave. This is not only another example of a subjective standpoint in Hugo’s works, but an example of how deeply Hugo’s life impacted his work. Demain des l’aube is one of Hugo’s more famous poems, and many people, especially living in Europe, are familiar with it. T.M. Pratt, the author of Nottingham French Studies, gives praise to this poem, writing about the unique way in which Hugo expresses his personal feeling, and at the same time, relays a universal experience that readers can relate to. He also praises Hugo’s desire to represent humanity in his work. I tend to agree with Pratt concerning the unique experience that Hugo brings in his poetry. I have seen similar themes in modern poetry, but during this time period, Hugo’s style was different from other poets I had read. But praise for Hugo’s work goes far beyond this

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