Alfred de Vigny

Born in Loches, France, on March 27, 1797, Alfred de Vigny came from an old military aristocratic family and spent part of his early adult life in the army. After leaving military life, he moved into Paris literary circles and became one of the early figures of French Romanticism.

He wrote in several forms, including poetry, fiction, drama, and translation. Among his best-known works are the historical novel Cinq-Mars, the play Chatterton, and the poetry collection Les Destinées. He also translated Shakespeare, helping bring English drama to French readers in a new way.

Vigny is often remembered as one of the most philosophical of the French Romantics. His writing is admired for its seriousness, restraint, and meditation on honor, solitude, and endurance. He died in Paris on September 17, 1863.