Frédéric Mistral: Champion of Provence
Although not as well known internationally as Alphonse Daudet or
Vincent Van Gogh, Frédéric Mistral will always be an icon of pride and culture
in the South of France.
The City of Arles in France is sometimes call the City of Van
Gogh, but it is not the Dutch artist whose statue stands in the city square: it
is the Provençal poet and patriot, Frédéric Mistral. Vincent Van Gogh did
paint some magnificent works in Arles, but a look at the life of Provençal poet,
Frédéric Mistral reveals so much more of the culture and history of the region.
The True Love Story of Hilaire Belloc and Elodie Hogan
"The course of true love never did run smooth" ~
William Shakespeare
Much attention is focused upon the love stories of Edgar Allan and Virginia Poe and Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning when discussing great love stories of the 19th century, while the love story of Anglo-French writer, Hilaire Belloc and his Irish-American wife, Elodie Hogan, is often overlooked. It is, however, a touching and romantic tale and the Bellocs actually faced more obstacles than the Poes and the Brownings. For one thing, they lived on two different continents when they met.
Poets Time Left Behind
Prolific 19th Century Whose Popularity Faded Away
The 19th century produced many writers who were very famous during their lives, but are not so well known today except for a few pieces of poetry that continue to endure. In some cases, these may not even have been the works they might have imagined would survive. One woman who was famed and admired for much more than her children stories and poems was Laura E. Richards. She was one of the daughters of poet and abolitionist, Julia Ward Howe, author of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic". Laura Richards wrote "Captain January", which is now associated more with Shirley Temple than Laura.
Edgar A. Guest: the People's Poet
There are many poets from the 19th and 20th century who enjoyed immense popularity during their lifetimes, although it did not earn them a place in anthologies hailing the best poems ever written. Slowly, their poems faded from periodicals and school books and their brightest poems were reduced to being included in quotation collections.
Edgar Albert Guest is not such a poet. While Guest was never to receive notice or acclaim from serious students of poetry, he was one of the most widely read poets of his time. His poetry was simple and spoke to family values and patriotism, often pointing out the value of the ordinary American.
Sequels to Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights
Emily Bronte's gothic tale of love and revenge on the moors has fascinated readers for decades. In addition to the many films one may wish to see, there are also several "Wuthering Heights" sequels that continue with one aspect or another of the twisted saga. One is called "H: The Story of Heathcliff's Journey Back to Wuthering Heights," which was written by Lin Haire-Sargeant. Amazingly, Charlotte Bronte appears in this novel, sharing a train compartment with Mr. Lockwood.
Fictional Thieves from the 19th Century
Literature of the 19th century contains many a thief, but to paraphrase L. Frank Baum: Is it a good thief or a bad thief? In the event that you are shaking your head and wondering how in the world there could even be such a thing as a good thief, you must remind yourself of Robin Hood at once. He was around long before the 19th century and was reportedly a very good thief.
Longfellow, Hawthorne and Poe -
A Collective View of Their Lives
When you study 19th century literature, you will find that many authors were friends and corresponded with each other. Some of their correspondence and papers survive to this day. Three interesting figures who interacted in each other’s lives are Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Nathaniel Hawthorne and Edgar Allan Poe.