Maurice Carême (; 12 May 1899 – 13 January 1978) was a Belgian francophone poet, best known for his simple writing style and
children's poetry
Children's poetry is poetry children's literature, written for, appropriate for children, appropriate for, or enjoyed by children.
Children's poetry is one of the oldest art forms, rooted in early oral tradition, folk poetry, and nursery rhymes ...
. His work was part of the
literature event in the
art competition at the
1928 Summer Olympics
The 1928 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the IX Olympiad (), was an international multi-sport event that was celebrated from 28 July to 12 August 1928 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The city of Amsterdam had previously bid for ...
.
Life and career
Carême was born in
Walloon Brabant
Walloon Brabant ( ; ; ) is a province located in Belgium's French-speaking region of Wallonia. It borders on (clockwise from the North) the province of Flemish Brabant (Flemish Region) and the provinces of Liège, Namur and Hainaut. Walloon Br ...
in
Wavre
Wavre (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality of Wallonia, and the capital of the Provinces of Belgium, province of Walloon Brabant, Belgium.
Wavre is in the Dijle, Dyle valley. Most inhabitants sp ...
, then a rural part of Belgium. Although he grew up in a family of modest means – his father was a housepainter, and his mother a shopkeeper. Carême had a happy childhood, which would be reflected in his work.
Carême attended school in his hometown, and in 1914 was awarded a scholarship to attend
Normal School in
Tienen
Tienen (; ) is a city and municipality in the province of Flemish Brabant, in Flanders, Belgium. The municipality comprises Tienen itself and the towns of Bost, Goetsenhoven, Hakendover, Kumtich, Oorbeek, Oplinter, Sint-Margriete-Houtem and Viss ...
. It was at this time that he began writing poetry. In 1918, he graduated from Normal School and was assigned a primary school teacher's position in
Anderlecht
Anderlecht (; ) is one of the List of municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. Located in the south-western part of the region, it is bordered by the City of Brussels, Forest, B ...
, near Brussels.
Carême's poetry progressively took on a greater place in his life, and in 1943 he resigned from his teaching profession to commit himself fully to writing. He also translated works of Dutch poets into French.
Carême died in Anderlecht. At his request, he was buried in Wavre. His wife died in 1990. His home in Anderlecht, "''La Maison Blanche''", now houses the ''Musée Maurice Carême''.
Music
Many of his poems have been set to music, by Darius Milhaud, Francis Poulenc, Henri Sauguet, Jacques Chailley (1910-1999), Florent Schmitt, Carl Orff, Fabrice Boulanger, or Norbert Rosseau (1907-1975): ''L'Eau passe'', a cycle of songs for 3 soloists, piano, harp and strings, 1954).
References
Bibliography
* Maurice Nicoulin, ''Hommage à Maurice Carême'', Vevey, Éditions Delta, 1978.
* Jacques Charles, ''Maurice Carême'', coll. « Poètes d'aujourd'hui », Pierre Seghers éditeur, Paris, 1965
* Pierre Coran, ''Maurice Carême'', collection Portraits, Pierre De Meyere éditeur, Bruxelles, 1966
* Jeannine Burny, ''« Le jour s'en va toujours trop tôt » : Sur les pas de Maurice Carême'', Racine, 2007
External links
''Les Musiciens et Maurice Carême''
Maurice Carême Museum''Être poète''
1899 births
1978 deaths
People from Wavre
Prince des poètes
Belgian poets in French
20th-century Belgian poets
Art competitors at the 1928 Summer Olympics
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