André Chénier

The greatest French poet of the 18th century. Born in Constantinople (now Istanbul) to a French diplomat father and a Greek mother. Lived in Paris from the age of five. After serving in the military, he traveled to Switzerland and Italy, and worked at the French embassy in London from 1787 to 1790. He sympathized with the French Revolution and threw himself into the tumultuous revolution, but as the revolution became more radical, he took an opposing position. After four months in prison, he was executed on the day before the Thermidor Reaction. His poetry was hardly known during his lifetime. His representative works include short poems such as "The Young Tarantine" and "The Young Prisoner," pastorals, laments, and lyric poems in the form of short poems, as well as "The Blind Man," which sings of Homer, and the metaphysical poem "Hermes." His works show the influence of classical literature, especially ancient Greek poetry. In his Satires, written while in prison, he expresses his despair over the reign of terror. He is called the last of the Classical period and the first of the Romantic period, but his poetic innovations, which gave harmony and flexibility to his lines, led to the Romantic period. His life, especially the revolutionary period, was depicted in the opera Andrea Chénier (premiered in 1896) by the Italian composer Giordano.

[Yoshio Hara]

"Chénier's Poems, translated by Nagashige Tanin and Ken Sanuki" (included in "World Famous Poems Collection 2, France Volume 1", Heibonsha, 1960)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

フランス18世紀最大の詩人。フランス人の外交官を父に、ギリシア人を母として、コンスタンティノープル（現イスタンブール）に生まれる。5歳よりパリに住む。軍隊生活ののちスイス、イタリアを旅行、1787～90年にはロンドンのフランス大使館に勤務。フランス革命に共鳴し、激動の革命のなかに身を投ずるが、革命の過激化とともに反対の立場にたつ。4か月の牢獄(ろうごく)生活ののち、テルミドールの反動の前日に処刑された。生前にはほとんど詩は知られていなかった。代表作には『若きタランチーヌ』『若き囚(とら)われの女』のような短詩形式の、牧歌、田園詩、哀歌、叙情詩や、ホメロスを歌った『盲人』、形而上(けいじじょう)詩『ヘルメス』などの長編詩がある。古典文学、とくに古代ギリシアの詩の影響がみられる。獄中で書いた『風刺詩』には恐怖政治に対する絶望が語られている。最後の古典派とも最初のロマン派ともよばれているが、詩句に諧調(かいちょう)や柔軟さを与える詩法上の革新は、ロマン派へとつながるものであった。その生涯、とくに革命期のシェニエの姿は、イタリアの作曲家ジョルダーノによってオペラ『アンドレア・シェニエ』（1896初演）に描かれている。

［原　好男］

『谷長茂・佐貫健訳「シェニエ詩集」（『世界名詩集大成2　フランス編1』所収・1960・平凡社）』

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例