Charles Moravia (17 June 1875 – 11 February 1938)

Donald E. Herdeck Donald E. Herdeck (November 19, 1924 – April 20, 2005) was an American academic and publisher, and the founder in 1973 of Three Continents Press. Biography Donald Elmer Herdeck was born on November 19, 1924, in Chicago, Illinois. He attended Dra ...

(ed.), ''Caribbean Writers: A Bio-Bibliographical-Critical Encyclopaedia'', Washington, DC: Three Continents Press, 1979, p.460.] was a

Haiti Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...

an poet, dramatist, teacher, and diplomat.

Biography

Born in

Jacmel Jacmel (; ht, Jakmèl) is a commune in southern Haiti founded by the Spanish in 1504 and repopulated by the French in 1698. It is the capital of the department of Sud-Est, 24 miles (39 km) southwest of Port-au-Prince across the Tiburon Peninsula ...

, Moravia studied at the Petit Séminaire Collège Saint-Martial in

Port-au-Prince Port-au-Prince ( , ; ht, Pòtoprens ) is the capital and most populous city of Haiti. The city's population was estimated at 987,311 in 2015 with the metropolitan area estimated at a population of 2,618,894. The metropolitan area is define ...

. He became a teacher in Jacmel and founded two periodicals, the short-lived ''La Plume'', published from 1914 to 1915, and ''Le Temps'', started in 1922 as a daily paper and later a magazine. He was an elected officer of the Haitian Academy of Arts and Sciences. An admirer of

Heinrich Heine Christian Johann Heinrich Heine (; born Harry Heine; 13 December 1797 – 17 February 1856) was a German poet, writer and literary critic. He is best known outside Germany for his early lyric poetry, which was set to music in the form of '' Lied ...

, Moravia translated the verse of the German poet, working from the prose translation of

Gérard de Nerval Gérard de Nerval (; 22 May 1808 – 26 January 1855) was the pen name of the French writer, poet, and translator Gérard Labrunie, a major figure of French romanticism, best known for his novellas and poems, especially the collection ''Les Fil ...

. Moravia was also influenced by

Edmond Rostand Edmond Eugène Alexis Rostand (, , ; 1 April 1868 – 2 December 1918) was a French poet and dramatist. He is associated with neo-romanticism and is known best for his 1897 play ''Cyrano de Bergerac''. Rostand's romantic plays contrasted with t ...

's play ''

Cyrano de Bergerac Savinien de Cyrano de Bergerac ( , ; 6 March 1619 – 28 July 1655) was a French novelist, playwright, epistolarian, and duelist. A bold and innovative author, his work was part of the libertine literature of the first half of the 17th cen ...

''. He also had a career in public service and was appointed

Minister Plenipotentiary An envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary, usually known as a minister, was a diplomatic head of mission who was ranked below ambassador. A diplomatic mission headed by an envoy was known as a legation rather than an embassy. Under th ...

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, in 1919, during the United States' occupation of Haiti. He also served as a Senator of the Republic during the presidency of

Sténio Vincent Sténio Joseph Vincent (February 22, 1874 – September 3, 1959) was President of Haiti from November 18, 1930 to May 15, 1941. Biography Sténio Vincent was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. His parents were Benjamin Vincent and Iramène Brea, w ...

. Moravia was jailed by the Vincent government for his articles opposed to the American occupation.

Selected works

* ''Roses et Camélias'' (Port-au-Prince: Impr. Mme F. Smith, 1903) - poetry * ''Ode à la mémoire de Toussaint Louverture'' (Port-au-Prince: Impr. Mme F. Smith, 1903) - poetry * ''La Crête à Pierrot'' (1908) - drama * ''Au Clair de la Lune'' (1910) - drama * ''L'Amiral Killick'' (1943) - drama Sonnet sur Deux Clous - poetry

References

* 1875 births 1938 deaths Haitian educators 20th-century Haitian dramatists and playwrights Haitian male dramatists and playwrights Haitian male poets People from Jacmel Ambassadors of Haiti to the United States Members of the Senate (Haiti) 20th-century Haitian poets 20th-century male writers {{Haiti-diplomat-stub