Étienne-Paulin Gagne, known as Paulin Gagne (8 June 1808 – August 1876) was a French poet, essayist, lawyer, politician, inventor, and eccentric. His best-known poem, The Woman-Messiah, is among the longest poems in French, or any language.[1] The poem is 25,000 verses (60 acts and 12 songs) and is notable for its 24th act entitled Bestiologie which enumerates the advantages that a citizen of Paris would have by marrying the animals of the Jardin des Plantes. He is also notable for proposing anthropophagy (cannibalism) at a public meeting and offering himself as food to starving Algerians.
Gagne was born in Montoison on 8 June 1808 of a family which soon reestablished itself in Montélimar. He established himself as a lawyer early on and lost his lone case after relocating to Paris.
In the 1850s, he moved back to Montélimar, and turned to prose and poetry after giving up law. His writings focused primarily on bizarre and burlesque social and political matters. In 1853 he married Élise Moreau.[2] He spent time as a minor politician and the creator of an unsuccessful journal entitled Hope. More success came with his second publication entitled The Theatre of the World in which contained some well-regarded articles, none by Gagne. Shortly thereafter, Gagne wrote, The Woman-Messiah, one of his many lengthy poems. During this time he also invented a universal language he named La Gagne-monopanglotte, which had no other known speakers.
In 1863, he moved back to Paris. He began to publish primarily in journals devoted to esoteric topics. One such journal, Uniter of the Visible and Invisible World, published an article in which Gagne alleged the intervention of Satan at a séance.
Towards the end of the Second French Empire, at public meetings, Gagne would make speeches on socialism, anti-monarchy and similar topics. Often he would organize strange political demonstrations at which he was the only participator. Many of his antics brought on laughter, but he was always a perpetual candidate for parliament. Gagne consistently took the radical route. In 1868, during an Algerian famine, he called for hippography (the eating of horseflesh) as a solution and then suggested cannibalism and called for legislation that would prevent the famine by making the Algerians eat all elderly persons in France over the age of 60, including himself. He stated, "[a] human being over sixty is neither useful nor ornamental, and to prove that I mean what I say, I am willing to give myself as food to my sublime and suffering townsmen."
Influence
The Comte de Lautreamont is known to have read Gagne. In Lautreamont's Poesies, Gagne is grouped with twelve tragic poets which included Lord Byron and Goethe. Gagne has also been compared to Goriot, one of the main characters of Balzac's Le Père Goriot.
References
^Dictionnaire universel des contemporains Volume 1 - Page 723 Gustave Vapereau - 1870 "GAGNE (Paulin), littérateur français, né à Montoison (Drôme), le 8 juin 1808, étudia le droit et se fit recevoir avocat à Paris, mais s'occupa surtout d'écrire des brochures et des vers de circonstance."
^Fournier, Edouard (1886). Souvenirs poétiques de l'école romantique, 1825 à 1840 (in French). p. 355.
Secondary literature
Comte de Lautreamont (trans. Lykiard]: "Maldoror", pp. 238, 311.
Dictionnaire biographique et biblio-iconographique de la Drôme by Justin Brun-Durand, p. 350-351 (French)
An Englishman in Paris (Notes and Recollections) by Albert Dresden Vandam, p. 390 (English)
Dictionnaire biographique et biblio-iconographique de la Drôme by Justin Brun-Durand, p. 350-351 (French)
Polybiblion: Revue bibliographique universelle by Société bibliographique, p. 274-275 (French)
The Prix Volney by Joan Leopold, p. 265 (English)
August 24, 2023
paulin, gagne, Étienne, known, june, 1808, august, 1876, french, poet, essayist, lawyer, politician, inventor, eccentric, best, known, poem, woman, messiah, among, longest, poems, french, language, poem, verses, acts, songs, notable, 24th, entitled, bestiologi. Etienne Paulin Gagne known as Paulin Gagne 8 June 1808 August 1876 was a French poet essayist lawyer politician inventor and eccentric His best known poem The Woman Messiah is among the longest poems in French or any language 1 The poem is 25 000 verses 60 acts and 12 songs and is notable for its 24th act entitled Bestiologie which enumerates the advantages that a citizen of Paris would have by marrying the animals of the Jardin des Plantes He is also notable for proposing anthropophagy cannibalism at a public meeting and offering himself as food to starving Algerians Paulin Gagne Contents 1 Biography 2 Influence 3 References 3 1 Secondary literatureBiography EditGagne was born in Montoison on 8 June 1808 of a family which soon reestablished itself in Montelimar He established himself as a lawyer early on and lost his lone case after relocating to Paris In the 1850s he moved back to Montelimar and turned to prose and poetry after giving up law His writings focused primarily on bizarre and burlesque social and political matters In 1853 he married Elise Moreau 2 He spent time as a minor politician and the creator of an unsuccessful journal entitled Hope More success came with his second publication entitled The Theatre of the World in which contained some well regarded articles none by Gagne Shortly thereafter Gagne wrote The Woman Messiah one of his many lengthy poems During this time he also invented a universal language he named La Gagne monopanglotte which had no other known speakers In 1863 he moved back to Paris He began to publish primarily in journals devoted to esoteric topics One such journal Uniter of the Visible and Invisible World published an article in which Gagne alleged the intervention of Satan at a seance Towards the end of the Second French Empire at public meetings Gagne would make speeches on socialism anti monarchy and similar topics Often he would organize strange political demonstrations at which he was the only participator Many of his antics brought on laughter but he was always a perpetual candidate for parliament Gagne consistently took the radical route In 1868 during an Algerian famine he called for hippography the eating of horseflesh as a solution and then suggested cannibalism and called for legislation that would prevent the famine by making the Algerians eat all elderly persons in France over the age of 60 including himself He stated a human being over sixty is neither useful nor ornamental and to prove that I mean what I say I am willing to give myself as food to my sublime and suffering townsmen Influence EditThe Comte de Lautreamont is known to have read Gagne In Lautreamont s Poesies Gagne is grouped with twelve tragic poets which included Lord Byron and Goethe Gagne has also been compared to Goriot one of the main characters of Balzac s Le Pere Goriot References Edit Dictionnaire universel des contemporains Volume 1 Page 723 Gustave Vapereau 1870 GAGNE Paulin litterateur francais ne a Montoison Drome le 8 juin 1808 etudia le droit et se fit recevoir avocat a Paris mais s occupa surtout d ecrire des brochures et des vers de circonstance Fournier Edouard 1886 Souvenirs poetiques de l ecole romantique 1825 a 1840 in French p 355 Secondary literature Edit Comte de Lautreamont trans Lykiard Maldoror pp 238 311 Dictionnaire biographique et biblio iconographique de la Drome by Justin Brun Durand p 350 351 French An Englishman in Paris Notes and Recollections by Albert Dresden Vandam p 390 English Dictionnaire biographique et biblio iconographique de la Drome by Justin Brun Durand p 350 351 French Polybiblion Revue bibliographique universelle by Societe bibliographique p 274 275 French The Prix Volney by Joan Leopold p 265 English Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Paulin Gagne amp oldid 1148315056, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
