Mirèio · Chapter
Preface to the English Edition explained
Harriet Waters Preston recounts the literary and historical context of Frédéric Mistral's Mirèio, detailing the Provençal Revival led by Joseph Roumanille, the formation of the felibre movement, and the cultural ambitions behind the poem.
What happens
Harriet Waters Preston recounts the literary and historical context of Frédéric Mistral's Mirèio, detailing the Provençal Revival led by Joseph Roumanille, the formation of the felibre movement, and the cultural ambitions behind the poem. She reflects on the challenges of translation and the enduring charm of Mistral's pastoral epic.
Themes in this chapter
Provençal Cultural Identity and Revival
The preface extensively discusses the Felibrige movement, the revival of the Provençal language, and Mistral's role in celebrating regional identity through poetry.
Nature and Pastoral Life
Preston highlights Mirèio's depiction of bucolic life, seasonal changes, and the rural landscape of Provence, calling it 'dewy with the memories of the poet’s own childhood on a Provençal farm.'
Characters to notice
- Frédéric Mistral
Central figure of the Provençal Revival; author of Mirèio and other works; praised for his genius and mastery of the Provençal idiom.
- Lamartine
Mentioned as a literary figure who praised Mistral's work, comparing him to Homer.
Key passages
“Thirty odd years have come and gone since the curious litterateurs of Paris were excited and charmed by the apparition of Frédéric Mistral’s Mirèio.”
It has been over thirty years since Parisian literary circles were first captivated by the appearance of Frédéric Mistral's Mirèio.
Preston sets the temporal context for the poem's initial reception.
“The employment of a rustic southern dialect for the purposes of poetic narrative was by no means so unheard-of a thing...”
Using a rural southern dialect for poetry was not unprecedented, as Jacques Jasmin had already done so in his works.
Preston contextualizes Mistral's use of Provençal within a broader tradition of dialect poetry.
“Were it possible for a new language to be created, or a decaying one revived, of determinate purpose, by native genius, fiery enthusiasm and unstinted devotion to the cause, that miracle would surely have been wrought by the felibre of the Bouches-du-Rhône.”
If sheer talent, passion, and dedication could revive a dying language, the felibre of the Rhône delta would have succeeded.
Preston reflects on the challenges and idealism of the Provençal Revival.