François Ponsard

François Ponsard is a poet and French dramatic author, born with Vienna on June 1st 1814 and died in Paris the July 7th 1867.

Biography

Wire of a solicitor, it was intended for the bar, when, attracted by poetry, it begin with the verse translation from Manfred from Lord Byron. In 1843, it published its first tragedy in worms, Lucrèce , which were represented with the Odéon, on April 22nd, and was acclaimed there like a literary restoration vis-a-vis the Romantisme, shortly after that Burgraves had been whistled. In 1845 it accepted besides a price of the French Academy which wanted to be opposed to the vagueness of the Romantisme. It did not adopt of it less the freedom of this school against the units of time and place, but while endeavouring to return to a more sober style. The talent of Rachel, the largest actress of its time, served it much.

In 1846, its second work Agnès de Méranie , which one claimed higher than Lucrèce , however did not obtain same success. In 1850, it gave Charlotte Corday , tragedy whose idea was suggested to him by the publication of the Histoire of Of Gironde the of Lamartine. He is elected member of the French Academy in 1855.

Without enthusiasm, it adopted the Second Empire and accepted the load of the library of the Senate, posts to which it renonça soon. In 1866, Ponsard, already seriously sick, gave to the Th3e4atre Fran1cais its dramatic masterpiece the Lion in love , table of manners and the political state of France under the Directoire. Three months before its death, in 1867, was represented its last dramatic work Galileo , which is also its worse and which caused, because of his subject, a violent opposition on behalf of the clerical party.

Ponsard is also the author of a tragedy with choruses: Ulysses (1852), where he endeavoured to reproduce exactly, and, so to speak, literally, the poetry of Homère.

Between 1850 and 1860, Ponsard obtained several successes in the comedy of manners. In 1853, the fury of speculation which reigned then inspired him a large comedy in five acts and worms, the Honor and the Money . Refused by the Comédie-Française, this part was played Odéon, where it obtained an immense success. A few years later, the Stock Exchange , a satire more than one comedy, is caught some with rapacities and covetousnesses which the thirst for gold produces. It draws up a portrait of the brokers, speculators, tripoteurs of the Stock Exchange. In 1860, a kind of trilogy dramatic in prose and worms: What the women like, who claimed painter social miseries and the corruption who exploits them, was very badly accommodated of the public.

Principal works

Lucrèce (1843)
Agnes de Méranie (1846)
Charlotte Corday (1850)
Ulysses (1852)
Honor and the Money (1853)
the Lion in love (1866)

External bond

biographical Card on the site of the French Academy
. Complete article of the Encyclopedia Britannica 1

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