André Chénier

Born in Constantinople in 1762 and raised in France, André Chénier wrote poetry shaped by a deep love of Greek and Roman literature while also bringing a new emotional freshness to French verse. Much of his work circulated only in manuscript during his lifetime, but later readers came to see him as an important bridge between the ordered style of the 18th century and the more personal spirit that would flourish in Romantic poetry.

He lived through the French Revolution and at first welcomed political change, but he grew sharply critical of violence and extremism. In 1794, during the Reign of Terror, he was arrested and executed by guillotine in Paris, only days before the fall of Robespierre.

After his death, his poems were published and his reputation grew steadily. Readers have long been drawn to the elegance of his language, the intensity of pieces such as "La Jeune Captive," and the tragic story of a brilliant writer whose life ended far too early.