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Jules Supervielle

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Jules Supervielle was a highly influential Franco-Uruguayan poet and writer. He was born in Montevideo, Uruguay, on January 16, 1884. His work spanned many different forms of literature. He wrote poetry, novels, short stories, plays, and even mythological tales. Because of his significant literary contributions, he was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature three times. His unique style helped shape modern literature in the mid-20th century. He was even honored with the title "Prince des poètes," or Prince of Poets, shortly before his death in May 1960.

Supervielle's writing process was defined by his rejection of certain popular trends. He specifically opposed the surrealism movement in poetry. He also rejected a method known as automatic writing. Instead, he utilized other techniques of modern poetry to create his work. By doing this, he actually anticipated several literary movements that appeared in the late 1940s. His approach influenced authors such as René Char, Henri Michaux, Saint-John Perse, and Francis Ponge. This shows how his personal choices in writing helped pave the way for future writers.

His literary career involved many different stages and publications. He began writing fables when he was only nine years old. In 1901, he published a collection of poems titled Brumes du passé. In 1910, he submitted a literature thesis regarding the feeling of nature in Spanish-American poetry. His first major collection, Débarcadères, arrived in 1922. This was followed by his first novel, L'Homme de la pampa, in 1923. One of his most significant achievements was the 1925 publication of Gravitations. This book is considered one of the major collections of French-speaking poetry in the 20th century.

Supervielle's personal life was marked by both early loss and significant transitions. His father was from Béarn and his mother was of Basque origin. Both of his parents passed away before he was one year old. This happened during a family visit to France. He was raised by his grandmother and later by his aunt and uncle. In 1894, he moved to Paris with his aunt and uncle. He later married Pilar Saavedra in Montevideo in 1906. Together, they had six children.

World events and personal struggles also shaped his life and work. During the First World War, he was conscripted into service. He served until 1917 before returning to his poetry. His work from 1919 caught the attention of famous figures like André Gide and Paul Valéry. During the Second World War, Supervielle faced both health and financial difficulties. These challenges caused him to relocate temporarily to Uruguay. After the war ended, he returned to France. He served as the cultural correspondent to the Uruguayan legation in Paris.

His theatrical and mythological works provided further depth to his legacy. Between 1924 and 1930, he published a book of short fantasies titled L'Enfant de la haute mer. This included five texts from that period and three original ones. He also wrote his first important play, La Belle au bois, during this time. In 1946, he published mythological tales under the title Orphée. His play Shéhérazade was particularly notable. It was one of three plays directed by Jean Vilar at the very first festival d'Avignon in 1947.

Supervielle's impact continues through various honors and academic studies. He was named an Officier de la Legion d'honneur and received several literary prizes. In 1990, the city of Oloron-Sainte-Marie established the Jules-Supervielle Prize. Many major contemporary poets, such as Alain Bosquet and Lionel Ray, have won this award. His complete poetic works were published by Editions Gallimbert in 1996 in the Bibliothèque de La Pléiade. Additionally, the Lycée Français de Montevideo is named in his honor. His art even crossed into music, as Maurice Jaubert set several of his poems to music.

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