Abstract
The German occupation of France during the Great War has long been
buried beneath the memory of the Occupation of 1940-1944. It is only
very recently that it has begun to be studied seriously by historians:
This article considers the role of poetry in the Ardennes, the only
French département to be completely occupied for the entire duration
of the conflict. Here we see how poetry, among other cultural forms,
is instrumentalised by the German occupier, notably in its French
language propaganda newspaper, La Gazette des Ardennes, in order to
promote defeatism and collaboration. On the other hand, exiled to
unoccupied France, the Ardennais poet Henri Dacremont produces a
conventionally patriotic poetry tinged with regionalism. This
« engagée » poetry contrasts with the more contemplative and
melancholy verse of Marie-Louise Dromart, which will only
published after the deliverance of her home region.
Translated title of the contribution | The Poetry of the Occupied Ardennes, 1914-1918 |
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Original language | French |
Pages (from-to) | 21-36 |
Number of pages | 15 |
Journal | Lublin Studies in Modern Languages and Literature |
Volume | 39 |
Issue number | 1 |
Publication status | Published - 2015 |
Keywords
- Ardennes
- Occupation
- Poetry
- Propaganda