Unacknowledged Legislators presents an original and detailed history of the theory and practice of French poetry from 1750 through to the end of the Romantic Period. Focussing on five major writers of the period, it demonstrates how the figure of the poet as lawgiver was central to the theory and practice of poetry during this period.
At the age of fifty Stephane Mallarme (1842-98) spoke of his published work as very precise reference points on my mind's journey. In this book, the author charts that journey, blending a biographical account of the poet's life with a detailed analysis of his evolving poetic theory and practice.
During much of his life Voltaire's plays and verse made him the toast of society, but his barbed wit and commitment to reason also got him into trouble. Jailed twice and eventually banished by the King, he was an outspoken critic of religious intolerance and persecution. His personal life was as colourful as his intellectual one. Voltaire never married, but had long-term affairs with two women: Emilie, who died after giving birth to the child of another lover, and his niece, Marie-Louise, with whom he spent his last twenty-five years. With its tales of illegitimacy, prison, stardom, exile, love affairs and tireless battles against critics, Church and King, Roger Pearson's brilliant biography brings Voltaire vividly to life.