Saint-John PerseAwards:
Nobel Prize in Literature-1960 Nobel Committee
in its citation stated that the prize was given for
"the soaring flight and the
evocative imagery of his poetry which in a visionary fashion reflects
the conditions of our times "
Born: 31/05/1887 in Saint-Ledger-Les-Feuiles,
Guadeloupe Island
Died: 20/09/1975 in Presequile de
Giens, France
Citizen: French
Language: French
Alexis Ledger, who later became known by his pen-name Saint-John Perse,
was a French poet and diplomat who studied at the University of
Bordeaux and in Paris.In1914, he joined French Diplomatic Service. He
worked in various countries such as Spain, Germany and UK. From
1916-21, he was secretary to the French Embassy in Peking. While in
China, Ledger wrote his first extended poem Anabase and got it
published in 1924 under pen name Saint-John Perse. For next two
decades, he published nothing as he thought it inappropriate for
serving foreign service officer to publish fiction. He was dismissed
from his post after the fall of France in May, 1940 and was stripped
of his citizenship. He migrated to USA to avoid the wrath of the Nazis.
During his exile in USA, he worked as a consultant in the Library of Congress on French Literature.
He also wrote several of his long poems, Exil, Vents and also
enjoyed the hospitality of President Roosevelt's Attorney
General Francis Biddle & his spouse Katherine Garrison Chapin.
Before his death, Leger donated his library, manuscripts and papers to
Fondation Saint-John Perse, a Research Center dedicated to the writer.
Notable Works:
Eloges
-- Eloges and other Poems(1911/1944),Anabase --Anabasis (1924/1930),
Exil-
Exile
and other Poems
(1942/1949) ,Poeme
a l'Etrangere -- Poem to a
Foreign Lady(/1943),
Oiseaux--
Birds(1962/1966)
Order Saint-John Perse's Books below
|
