Persian Saint-John

See also: Leger

Persian Saint-John , Pseudonym of Alexis Leger , is a poet and diplomat French, born the May 31st 1887 with the Guadeloupe, died on the Presqu'île of Giens the September 20th 1975.

It also used the pen name Alexis Saint-Leger Leger .

The poet

Alexis Leger, after a childhood passed to the Guadeloupe until in 1899, settles with Pau with his family, where he attends the Lycée Louis-Barthou, its studies of Right to Bordeaux as of 1904 makes. He makes his military service in the infantry in Pau, then made the meeting of Francis James which presents it in particular to Paul Claudel, with which he will maintain the animated relations. He is introduced little by little into the medium of the NRF, where he becomes acquainted with Jacques Rivière and André Gide which encourages it in the literary career. He publishes its first collection of poems Éloges in 1911 and meets a great success. He decides to engage in the diplomatic career in 1914. He is named diplomat with Beijing of 1916 with 1921, named in 1924 directing of the diplomatic cabinet of Aristide Briand, year when he publishes his collection Anabase under the pseudonym of Saint-John Perse, until in 1932, then appointed ambassador in 1933, and general secretary of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs until in 1940, date on which he exiles himself with the the United States. He publishes Exil in 1942, Pluies and Poème with foreign the in 1943, Neiges in 1944. He is reinstated in French nationality in 1944, with the release of the France, but remains in the United States. He publishes Amers in 1957, year when he returns to make long stays in France, on the peninsula of Giens. He publishes short poems: Chronic in 1960, year when it obtains the Nobel Prize of literature, its short speech with the banquet Nobel of the December 10th 1960 remaining a model of eloquence. It will still publish Oiseaux , inspired by Georges Braque in 1963, and finally Chant for an equinox in 1971. He dies on September 20th, 1975, in Giens (VAr), where he wrote his last works, Nocturne and Sécheresse , and where he rests from now on.

The diplomat

Alexis Leger becomes principal private secretary of Aristide Briand in 1925 and will be one of the principal authors of the Accords of Locarno in October 1925; Aristide Briand will remain the mentor of Alexis Leger and will prolong, by his disciple, his influence with the Quay of Orsay of his death in 1932 until 1940. All its life, Alexis Leger will defend his memory, going until affirming that never Briand would not have tolerated the abandonments of France in front of the rise of the Nazism. As general secretary of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs during 8 years, it ensures the continuity of the French diplomacy in front of the waltz of the ministers (more one per annum on average): in May 1936, at the time of its come to power, Leon Blum request immediately: " Does What think Leger of it? " on the two diplomatic main issues, the remilitarization of left bank of the Rhine and the War of Spain. In Munich, it seems less obliging than Daladier and, especially, Georges Bonnet, his minister, in front of the abandonment of the Czechoslovakia: Hitler qualifies it on this occasion of " small inhabitant of Martinique hopping ! ". In June 1940, Paul Reynaud has replaced it by Charles-Russet-red marking its rupture with the policy practiced with respect to Reich for 8 years, which it takes for an affront. In exile in the USA, it is then deposed French nationality by the Régime of Vichy and is made engage by the Library of the Congress thanks to Archibald MacLeish, poet American. Perhaps it becomes with Jean Monnet only French whom President Roosevelt agrees to listen to, very hostile with the Général de Gaulle. The chief of Free France tries to rejoin it with his cause as a more important person in charge of the ministry of Foreign affairs after the minister in title at the time of the defeat. He refuses curtly by reproaching de Gaulle his " political step " , which the General will never forgive him: in 1960, at the time of his Nobel Prize, Alexis Leger will state to have received " congratulations of 14 foreign governments but not that of its fatherland. "

Works

  • Praises (1911)

  • Anabase (1924)
  • Exile (1942)
  • Rains and Poème with foreign the (1943)
  • Snows (1944)
  • Winds (1946)
  • Bitter (1957)
  • Chronic (1960)
  • Poetry (1961)
  • Birds (1963)
  • Song for an equinox (1971)
  • Night (1973)
  • Dryness (1974)
  • complete Works , Paris, Gallimard, " Library of Pléiade" , 1972, edition increased in 1982

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