Albert Mérat (23 March 1840,

Troyes Troyes () is a Communes of France, commune and the capital of the Departments of France, department of Aube in the Grand Est region of north-central France. It is located on the Seine river about south-east of Paris. Troyes is situated within ...

, France – 16 January 1909,

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, France) was a

French poet List of poets French poetry, who have written in the French language: A Céline Arnauld (1885-1952) * Louise-Victorine Ackermann (1813–1890) * Adam de la Halle (v.1250 – v.1285) * Dominique Aguessy (1937– ) * Pierre Albert-Birot (1876–1 ...

Biography

Albert Mérat was born in Troyes into a family of

lawyers A lawyer is a person who is qualified to offer advice about the law, draft legal documents, or represent individuals in legal matters. The exact nature of a lawyer's work varies depending on the legal jurisdiction and the legal system, as wel ...

. He initially studied law, then entered the civil service as a clerk in the offices of the

Seine The Seine ( , ) is a river in northern France. Its drainage basin is in the Paris Basin (a geological relative lowland) covering most of northern France. It rises at Source-Seine, northwest of Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plat ...

prefecture A prefecture (from the Latin word, "''praefectura"'') is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain inter ...

. It was there that he met

Paul Verlaine Paul-Marie Verlaine ( ; ; 30 March 1844 – 8 January 1896) was a French poet associated with the Symbolism (movement), Symbolist movement and the Decadent movement. He is considered one of the greatest representatives of the ''fin de siècle'' ...

an
Léon Valade
In 1863, he wrote his first collection ''Avril, mai, juin, sonnets'' with Valade. He was part of the Parnassian poets, like

Théophile Gautier Pierre Jules Théophile Gautier ( , ; 30 August 1811 – 23 October 1872) was a French poet, dramatist, novelist, journalist, and art and literary critic. While an ardent defender of Romanticism, Gautier's work is difficult to classify and rema ...

José-Maria de Heredia José-Maria de Heredia (22 November 1842 – 3 October 1905) was a Cuban-born French Parnassian poet. He was the fifteenth member elected for seat 4 of the Académie française in 1894. Biography Early years Heredia was born at Fortuna Ca ...

Théodore de Banville Théodore Faullain de Banville (; 14 March 1823 – 13 March 1891) was a French poet and writer. His work was influential on the Symbolist movement in French literature in the late 19th century. Biography Banville was born in Moulins in Allier ...

. He was praised by the poets of his time;

Arthur Rimbaud Jean Nicolas Arthur Rimbaud (, ; ; 20 October 1854 – 10 November 1891) was a French poet known for his transgressive and surreal themes and for his influence on modern literature and arts, prefiguring surrealism. Born in Charleville, he s ...

, in his letter to Paul Demeny dated May 15, 1871, considered him visionary and almost equal to Verlaine, who dedicated his poem ''Jadis'' to him. Following a dispute with Rimbaud during a dinner at the Vilains Bonshommes, Mérat refused to pose for

Fantin-Latour Henri Fantin-Latour (; 14 January 1836 – 25 August 1904) was a French painter and lithographer best known for his flower paintings and group portraits of Parisian artists and writers. Early life Born in Grenoble, Isère, Ignace Henri Jean Th� ...

on his famous painting '' The Corner of the Table'' ( French: ''Un coin de table''). His name and work seem to have remained, and still remain, unknown to the general public. Around 1875, he became attached to the presidency of the Senate in Luxembourg. After two decades without publications, he returned to poetry by publishing about ten collections. In the last years of his life, he was a librarian at the Senate palace. His mental health deteriorated, and he was hospitalized at the Maison de Santé de la Glacière, probably the future Hôpital Sainte Anne. The next morning, January 16, 1909, he was found "dead, his head wrapped in his eiderdown, his temple twice pierced, with such care that the beautiful Olympian mask, which he held so dear, was not damaged, and that sudden death had scarcely altered his features." Albert Mérat was decorated as a Knight of the

Legion of Honor The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and civil. Currently consisting of five classes, it was ...

. Henri-Léopold Lévy painted his portrait. He is buried at the

Cimetière du Montparnasse Montparnasse Cemetery () is a cemetery in the Montparnasse quarter of Paris, in the city's 14th arrondissement. The cemetery is roughly 47 acres and is the second largest cemetery in Paris. The cemetery has over 35,000 graves, and approximately 1 ...

(27th division). His bronze bust by Alphonse Saladin adorns his tomb.

Works

* ''Avril, mai, juin, sonnets'' (1863) *
Les Chimères: sonnets; Le livre de l'amie; Tableaux de voyage
' (1866) * ''L'Idole'' (1869) * Translation into French of ''L'Intermezzo'', by Henri Heine, in collaboration with Léon Valade. *
Les Villes de marbre, poèmes
' (1869) poems crowned by the French Academy *
Les Souvenirs
' (1872) * ''L'Adieu'' (1873) * ''Printemps passé, poème parisien'' (1876) *
Au fil de l'eau
' (1877) *
Poèmes de Paris; Parisiennes; Tableaux et paysages parisiens
' (1880) * ''Poésies de Albert Mérat, 1866–1873. Les Chimères. L'Idole. Les Souvenirs. Les Villes de marbre'' (1898) * ''Vers le soir. Impressions et souvenirs. Intermède. Petit poème. Hommes et choses'' (1900) * ''Triolet des Parisiennes de Paris'' (1901) *
Les Joies de l'heure: choses passées, le coin des poètes, impressions et notes d'art, deux peintres, conseils du poète à lui-même
' (1902) * ''Chansons et madrigaux: chansons, madrigaux, camées parisiens'' (1902) *
Vers oubliés: chansons d'été, fleurs d'avril
' (1902) * ''Petit Poème'' (1903) * ''Les Trente-six quatrains à Madame'' (1903)

Literary Awards

* 1866 prix Maillé-Latour-Landry from the French Academy for ''Les Chimères: sonnets; Le livre de l'amie; Tableaux de voyage'' * 1874

prix Lambert The Prix Lambert () was an award given out jointly in France by the Académie française and the Académie des Beaux-Arts. It was created in 1853 and awarded to "men of letters" (or their widows) who had served the public interest. Laureates *1963 ...

from the French Academy * 1901 prix Archon-Despérouses from the

French Academy French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

for ''Vers le soir. Impressions et souvenirs. Intermède. Petit poème. Hommes et choses''

Bibliography

, ''Albert Mérat'', monograph published in the magazine '' Les Hommes d'aujourd'hui'', ;

References

External links

Poems by Albert Mérat
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mérat, Albert 1840 births 1909 deaths People from Troyes Knights of the Legion of Honour 19th-century French poets