Among the French poets of the 20th century there are many truly talented personalities. Despite the fact that historical events in Europe “undermined” people's need for high-quality and new literature, groups of creative individuals were able to create a new art, which over time found approval among the people.
One of the creators of the “new literature” was Paul Eluard. The poet survived many tragedies, but did not stop on the way to his main goals - the creation of new outlooks on life and the improvement of linguistic forms. What Paul Eluard was famous for, where he was born, what he lived for, his creative successes and personal failures - all this must be known to the lover of classical French literature.
The young years of the poet
Eugene-Emile-Paul Grendel (pseudonym Paul Eluard) was born December 14, 1895 in the city of Saint-Denis, France. Already in 1908, thanks to the profitable deals of Father Paul, who was engaged in real estate, the family moved to Paris. In general, the Grendels lived in abundance, they could afford good housing and relaxation, although they were not very wealthy.
Eugene-Emile-Paul grew up an intelligent child with great potential. He enters the highest elementary academy without any problems, receives a certificate with high scores. The plans include continued studies and a great career.
But a trouble-free future undermined health: in 1912, during a trip to Switzerland, pulmonary failure was discovered in the future great poet, and then tuberculosis. I had to leave my studies and go to a sanatorium until 1914. But, despite health problems, the period is quite prosperous, and Paul Eluard meets his future wife - Elena Dyakonova. Beautiful, intelligent, intelligent girl liked Paul at first sight.
The girl immediately conquers the heart of Paul, and he begins to write his first works. As the poet will say later, the first verses were filled with youthful maximalism, were written ineptly, but sensually. Then the first collection appears, which Eluard gives out at his own expense.
“Gala,” as Elena Eluard affectionately calls, is forced to leave for Russia. The lovers wanted to get married, but Paul's mother is against such an alliance. In the future, this woman will affect the poet, and will become the main muse. Although creativity is always in the first place, Paul Eluard, the family, considered in the second. Photos that have survived to this day indicate that he put self-realization in the first place.
War - as a new stage in creativity
In 1914, Eluard was mobilized to the front. For several years, due to health problems, Paul is forced to “sit out” in the hospital. There he first meets with the war "face to face", begins to think about his life.
Until 1917, Eluard did not get to the front. Poor health makes itself felt, it cannot be useful for the army. Then his new works appear, which combine youthful dreams and hard rock of war. Even a small notebook of poems “Debt” is published, where Paul is first signed by the pseudonym Eluard - the name of his grandmother.
The poet gets to the front for only a few weeks, where, due to poor conditions, he begins to have health complications. This experience was forever imprinted in the memory of the poet and influenced him. Paul understood that a new era was coming, he understood the difference between the life of a soldier in the trenches and a soldier at home.
New post-war era
In 1917, Gala returned to France, and Paul finally married her. Elena and military memories become the main inspirers of the poet, give him the desire to live. A year later, a daughter Cecile is born in the family, and Paul releases a collection of "Poems for Peace."
Post-war France does not inspire the hopes of the intelligentsia. Representatives of art or tuned in to new foundations and popular trends, or "sunk into the ages." The language and culture of periodicals became standardized, and a need arose for something new.
Dadaism in the work of Eluard
Soon Paul Eluard “finds himself” among the representatives of the Dada society. People gathered here with similar destinies, those who were interested in the cultural development of France and Europe. There, the future great poet was able to find not only close friends in spirit, but also begin literary experiments.
Soon, Paul begins to publish his own magazine called “Proverb” (Proverbe). Many of his works are published there, as well as the works of other Dadaists. But relations with colleagues deteriorate, their views diverge, and in 1924, Paul, after a fight with one of the members of the group, ceases his activities in Dada, although for many years he remains the ideological inspirer of the group.
The period of surreal creativity
In 1924, a dark streak entered the life of Eluard. Problems in the family, quarrels with parents, the absence of “colleagues” in the work badly affect the mood of the poet, and he decides to leave for Marseille. After the publication “To Die Because You Are Not Dying”, he abruptly leaves without warning anyone, and even his closest relatives, including his wife, consider him dead.
After six months of traveling around the world, after a letter to him, his wife arrives in Asia with Max Ernst, and after arriving home, Paul joins the Corpse group. The worldviews of pamphletists, who considered surrealism to be the ideal creativity of the future, pleased the writer and revealed the new boundaries of his poetry and prose.
Over time, Europe learned that Paul Eluard is a French poet worthy of being called great. His personality inspired people to revolution, his works found new fans every day, and Paul himself found new, unusual and even strange facets of his skill.
Love Triangle: Eluard, Gala and Dali
Witnesses of that era claim that Paul’s relationship with his wife was unusual. Both were free from each other, but, at the same time, remained together for many years. They say that Paul and Gala even openly cheated on each other, but, at the same time, were faithful to their family.
In 1929, Gala and Paul went to the new acquaintance of the poet - Salvador Dali. Paul Eluard himself wanted to introduce his wife to a genius, while he did not realize that acquaintance would turn into a love triangle. The feelings between Dali and Gala appeared almost immediately, and this new alliance benefited both.
Paul Eluard, although he was saddened by the departure of his wife, did not suit scandals and tantrums. He just left, embarking on a trip around the world. In the future, Salvador Dali will even draw a portrait of Paul and thank him for the new “muse”. It will soon turn out that Gala will really help Dali develop his talent and reach the heights of creativity.
Paul Eluard, whose biography was already full of various unfortunate moments, barely survived this separation.
New Love Eluard
Paul is not alone for long, and soon the role of “main muse” is played by Maria Benz - a dancer, singer and writer under the pseudonym Nush. She was distinguished from the intelligent Gala by her modesty, simplicity and calmness. Nush had a rather difficult fate, which affected her behavior. She was born and raised in a family of stray artists, so she knew all the "charms" of street life.
Nush opened up new facets of Paul’s talent, brought to his work a new concept of the word “love”. For a long 16 years, Nush remained the center of the poet’s soul universe. Love dies when suddenly in 1934, Nouche dies in one of the streets of Paris.
World War II period
Even before fascist Germany began a military conflict, Paul was negative about the regime. In his opinion, it is important to maintain equality in the state. In 1939, the poet was mobilized to the front against Hitler.
At the front, he discovered not only new facets of talent by publishing several books of patriotic poetry, but also proved to be an underground. For many years, the main task of Paul was the liberation of France from the invaders and the restoration of peace on its territory.
Since 1942, supporters of the communist regime began to be massively executed in France, and Paul became a member of the Communist Party. The desire to free oneself from fascist oppression became the main thing in the life of the poet, and found reflection in the lyrics. Patriotic literature became a new facet of Paul Eluard's work, and France's hope for liberation. Paul Eluard, whose work has undergone many changes, remained in the memory of France, mainly as a revolutionary poet, a freedom fighter.
last years of life
The death of Nush influenced the poet. He was left alone in this world and did not find himself in it. For some time he even thought about suicide. The war ended, the muse died and Paul did not find himself in this world. For many years his works were filled with spiritual sorrow bordering on patriotic joy for his state.
His last love - Dominica, he meets shortly before his death. In 1952, at the age of 57, the poet died of a heart attack. Paul Eluard, whose years of life fell on difficult times for the country, left a great cultural heritage in the history of France.
Paul Eluard: interesting facts from a biography
After the death of the poet, thousands of Parisians escorted him on his last journey.
In 1952, Eluard performed in Moscow on the anniversary of Victor Hugo.
In 1952 he became the Laureate of the Peace Prize.
Until the end of his days, Paul corresponded with his ex-wife, in the hope that she would return to him. She, out of respect for her ex-husband, did not marry Dali until the death of the poet.
After meeting Picasso, Paul wrote the work “The Victory of Guernica”.
Leaflets with the work of Paul Edouard were dropped by plane over Paris during World War II.