Jules Laforgue

Date of Birth: August 16, 1860

Zodiac Sign: Leo

Date of Death: August 20, 1887

Biography

Jules Laforgue was a French Symbolist poet born on August 16, 1860, in Montevideo, Uruguay. He was known for his innovative use of free verse and his melancholic, ironic tone. Laforgue’s family moved back to France when he was young, and he spent much of his life in Paris, where he immersed himself in the literary and artistic circles of the time. Laforgue was heavily influenced by the works of Charles Baudelaire and Arthur Rimbaud, and he, in turn, influenced later poets such as T.S. Eliot. His major works include “Les Complaintes” (1885) and “L’Imitation de Notre-Dame la Lune” (1886). Despite his relatively short life, Laforgue’s work had a lasting impact on modern poetry. He died on August 20, 1887, in Paris, France, from tuberculosis.

5 Interesting Facts about Jules Laforgue

1. Jules Laforgue was one of the pioneers of the Symbolist movement in poetry.

2. He introduced the use of free verse in French poetry, a significant departure from traditional forms.

3. Laforgue’s work often explored themes of existential angst and irony.

4. He served as a reader to Empress Elisabeth of Austria, which influenced some of his later works.

5. Despite his short life, Laforgue’s innovative style influenced major 20th-century poets, including T.S. Eliot and Ezra Pound.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Jules Laforgue

1. “Simplicity is the hardest thing to secure in this world; it is the last limit of experience and the last effort of genius.”

2. “Why should I tire myself, worrying about the future?”

3. “The world is full of poetry. The air is living with its spirit; and the waves dance to the music of its melodies, and sparkle in its brightness.”

4. “Every day I live, I am more convinced that the waste of life lies in the love we have not given, the powers we have not used, the self we have not lived.”

5. “Each day is a little life: every waking and rising a little birth, every fresh morning a little youth, every going to rest and sleep a little death.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

Jules Laforgue did not achieve significant financial success during his lifetime. His highest net worth is not well-documented, but he is not known to have accumulated substantial wealth.