DELAVIGNE, de-la'vCny', JEAN FRANcOIS CASIMIR (1793-1843). A French lyric poet and dramatist, born in Havre, April 4, 1793. Ile WW1 distinction from the Freneh Academy in NIL and was elected a member of it in 1825. His first important writings were dithyrambic poems, Les messatiennes (ISIS), antique in form, but present and direct in their allusions to the disasters of the last Napoleonie years. These gave stirring expression to popular emotions, especially to the rancor and fears of the Lib erals at the reactionary 'title of the restored Bourbons. They achieved sensational sueeess. In 1819 he turned the same talent to celebrate Joan of Are, thus lippealing to a universal patri otic sentiment before either Hugo or Lamartine had begun to toueh the French heart with their Napoleonic verses. The forerunner should not be forgotten in the greatness of his successors, and in drama Delavigne is as important as either to the continuity of historic development. He stands between Beaumarchais and Emile Angier, almost the sole talented representative of (14,mified comedy, and while his dramatic work, taken ehronologically, represents almost every phase of the conversion of a strict Classi cist into it moderate Itomanticist, his merits of prudent eelecticisin are in danger of being obscured by the glories of his successors. llis
L'ico/c des eieillards (1823) still holds the boards by its lively graceful style, and ingenious invention. Marino (IS29) an ticipates the llugocsque mingling of tragic and comic elements, preserving an academic correet ness of forum without following the classic rules. Other plays still occasionally acted and often read are: Los siciliennes (1519); Louis Al. (1832); Les cuf ants d'Edouard (183:3) ; and Lu Jille du Cid (18:39). Delavigne was elected to the Academy in 1825, and in 1830 rose to the political occasion, as he had done after Waterloo. llis song, "La Parisienne," set to music by -tuber, rivaled for a time the itself, and "La Varsovienne" was sung as a battle march by the rebelling Poles. Indeed, it is as a poet of polities, a man of the hour, that Delavigne is at his best. At times very popular, lie needed striking occasions to evoke his genius. When lie became contemplative lie was commonplace, but in direct appeal he wrote with terse vigor. His private life was above reproach. He died in Lyons, December 11, 1843. There are several editions of his Works (Paris. 1845, 1855, 1363), and a convenient one of the Poems and Ploys (ib., 1863).