Thérèse of Lisieux and Alphonse de Lamartine: The Spiritual Transformation of Romanticism

Abstract

There has been some controversy since death of Therese of Lisieux (Therese Martin) regarding value of her poetry. Some critics have considered it to be somewhat charming but full of pious sentimental images typical of her day. Sackville-West, for example, declares that cannot be claimed for Therese's poems that they have much merit beyond their obvious sincerity (138). Kathryn Harrison, in more recent study of Therese, is somewhat less critical. She claims that most of saint's poems are unremarkable as art, but useful for what insight they provide into her spiritual (116). Her thoughts resemble Therese's own judgment of her poetry. In letter written in February 1897 to Maurice Belliere, Therese states: Ces pauvres poesies vous reveleront non pasce que je suis, mais ce que je voudrais et devrais etre En les composant j'ai regarde plus au fond qu'a la forme mon but etait de traduire mes sentiments ... (Une course de geant: Lettres 390-91; These poor poems will reveal to you not what I am but what I would like and should be When composing them, I have looked more at substance than at form my purpose was to translate my sentiments ... [General Correspondence 1059]). And so, how are we to judge Therese's poetical works? Are they as tasteless in content and style as some critics would have us believe or is there more to them? It would seem that only those able to unlock spiritual depths hidden in language and images of Romanticism still evident in late nineteenth-century French literature can uncover true value of Therese's poetry. Guy Gaucher remarks that if we disregard her poetry we run risk of missing some hidden spiritual treasures (141). James Wiseman considers her poems a privileged resource for our understanding of Theresian spirituality (540), while Hans Urs von Balthasar unhesitatingly states that her images render her equal of two great reformers of Carmel in poetic power (113). Though people from every continent and walk of life have discovered spiritual richness of Histoire d'une ame / Story of Soul, autobiography of this young Carmelite cloistered nun who died of tuberculosis in 1897 at age of twenty-four, few may be aware that Therese also wrote eight plays and at least sixty-two poems. Those who have ventured to read critical edition of her poetry might even have found it surprising to learn that five of her poems reflect tone and style of early nineteenth-century French romantic poet, Alphonse de Lamartine. (1) How is it possible that first and perhaps greatest French romantic poet had an influence on poetry of an unknown young woman whom Pope Pius X called the greatest saint of modern times? (2) Given her sheltered upbringing how would Therese have had access to Lamartine's writings? And, finally, how does Therese adopt in her poems traditional elements of romantic poetry of her day? Therese was born in Alencon in 1873 and died in Lisieux in 1897. Belonging to bourgeoisie, Therese's family was financially comfortable and supported monarchy and Catholic Church. With four older sisters and no living brothers, Therese was family pet. Her childhood was happy one until age of four when her mother died. From an outgoing, happy child Therese became extremely sensitive, relaxing only in surroundings of her extended family. Her parents devout Catholics who in their youth had given serious consideration to monastic life. Her spiritual development was strongly influenced by solid faith and piety of her father and her older sisters who served as mothers for her. Until age of eight, Therese was home schooled by two of her older sisters who had studied with Visitandines. She then spent next five years as day-boarder at Benedictine abbey in Lisieux where, according to standards of times, she had an excellent education for Benedictines were women of cultivated minds (Keyes 64). …