Évariste de Parny

Biography

Born on 6 February 1753 in Saint-Paul, Bourbon, Évariste-Désiré de Forges, Viscount of Parny, was one of the great French poets of the 18th century. From an aristocratic Creole family, he went to study in Rennes and then Paris before joining the army. His literary career took off with “Poésies érotiques” (Erotic Poems, 1778), a collection of amorous elegies and odes in the classical style inspired by his relationship with the Creole woman Éléonore. The book both scandalised and charmed, bringing Parny instant fame in Parisian circles. Voltaire himself acknowledged his talent.

Back on Bourbon, Parny wrote the “Chansons madécasses” (Madagascan Songs, 1787), prose poems drawing on the traditions of Madagascar and bringing a new view of the Indian Ocean into French literature. These texts deeply influenced the Romantic poets, from Lamartine to Musset. Elected to the Académie française in 1803, Parny embodies the moment when colonial literature joined the great French canon. He died in Paris on 27 December 1814, leaving a body of work that weaves Réunion into French poetic memory.

Contribution

Author of “Poésies érotiques” (1778) and “Chansons madécasses” (1787); the first great poet born on Bourbon to make his mark on French letters; elected to the Académie française in 1803.

Legacy

A direct influence on the Romantic poets (Lamartine, Musset); a forerunner of a distinctive Indian Ocean literature; his birthplace in Saint-Paul keeps his memory alive.