A Presentation by Stephanie Scullion And Hannah Kershaw Victor Hugo A Presentation by Stephanie Scullion And Hannah Kershaw

Background Information - Born in Besançon, France on February 26th, 1802 - He was a novelist, playwright, essayist, poet, and human rights activist. - Wrote The Hunchback Of Notre Dame and Les Misérables - His poetry has been used by many French Composers of the same time period - The Napoleon dictatorship took place not too long after his birth - Was profoundly influenced by Francois-Rene de Chateaubriand - He referred to his writing goals as “Chateaubriand or nothing.”

Le Papillon Et La Fleur La pauvre fleur disait au papillon céleste: Ne fuis pas!... Vois comme nos destins sont différents, je reste. Tu t'en vas! Pourtant nous nous aimons, nous vivons sans les hommes, Et loin d'eux! Et nous nous ressemblons et l'on dit que nous sommes Fleurs tous deux! Mais hélas, l'air t'emporte, et la terre m'enchaine. Sort cruel! Je voudrais embaumer ton vol de mon haleine. Dans le ciel! Mais non, tu vas trop loin, parmi des fleurs sans nombre. Vous fuyez! Et moi je reste seule à voir tourner mon ombre. A mes pieds! Tu fuis, puis tu reviens, puis tu t'en vas encore Luire ailleurs! Aussi me trouves-tu toujours à chaque aurore Tout en pleurs! Ah! pour que notre amour coule des jours fidèles. Ô mon roi! Prends comme moi racine ou donne-moi des ailes Comme à toi!

Translation The poor flower kept saying to the airborne butterfly: "Don't fly away! Our destinies are different : I stay put, you travel! Yet we love one another, we live without human beings, remote from them; and we resemble one another - some say that both of us are flowers. But alas! The – what a cruel fate! I would like my breath to perfume your flight in the sky! But no, you travel too far! Visiting countless flowers, you fly away, while I remain alone watching my shadow circle at my feet. You go, then you come back, then you fly off again to shine elsewhere. So every morning you find me bathed in tears! Ah please, so that our love may glide along faithfully (oh my king!), take root like me - or else give me wings like you!" breeze carries you off, while the earth ties me down

Mai Puis-que Mai tout en fleurs dans les prés nous réclame. Viens, ne te lasse pas de mêler à ton âme La campagne, les bois, les ombrages charmants, Les larges clairs de lune au bord des flots dormants: Le sentier qui finit où le chemin commence. Et l'air, et le printemps et l'horizon immense. L'horizon que ce monde attache humble et joyeux, Comme une lèvre au bas de la robe des cieux. Viens, et que le regard des pudiques étoiles, Qui tombe sur la terre à travers tant de voiles. Que l'arbre pénétré de parfum et de chants. Que le souffle embrasé de midi dans les champs; Et l'ombre et le soleil, et l'onde, et la verdure, Et le rayonnement de toute la nature, Fassent épanouir, comme une double fleur, La beauté sur ton front et l'amour dans ton coeur!

Translation Now May with burgeoning flowery meadows beckons us. Come, do not fail to refresh your soul with the countryside, the woods, the shady bowers, the wide moonlight nights beside the dormant waters: The path that ends where the road begins. And the air, and the Spring and the immense horizon. The horizon where this world joins humbly and joyously like a hem at the bottom of heaven's robe. Come, see the gaze of the chaste stars, that fall upon the ground through many veils. and the tree permeated with scents and sounds, that the wind garnered at midday in the fields; and the shadow, the sunlight, the waves, the verdure.

S’il est un Charmant Gazon If there's a lovely grassy plot watered by the sky where in every season some flower blossoms, where one can freely gather lilies, woodbines and jasmines... I wish to make it the path on which you place your feet. If there is a loving breast where honour rules, where tender devotion is free from all gloominess, if this noble breast always beats for a worthy aim... I wish to make it the pillow on which you lay your head. If there is a dream of love scented with roses, where one finds every day something gentle and sweet, a dream blessed by God where soul is joined to soul... oh, I wish to make it the nest in which you rest your heart. S'il est un charmant gazon Que le ciel arrose, Où [brille]1 en toute saison Quelque fleur éclose, Où l'on cueille à pleine main Lys, chèvre-feuille et jasmin, J'en veux faire le chemin Où ton pied se pose! S'il est un sein bien aimant Dont l'honneur dispose, Dont le ferme dévouement N'ait rien de morose, Si toujours ce noble sein Bat pour un digne dessein, J'en veux faire le coussin Où ton front se pose! S'il est un rêve d'amour, Parfumé de rose, Où l'on trouve chaque jour Quelque douce chose, Un rêve que Dieu bénit, Où l'âme à l'âme s'unit, Oh! j'en veux faire le nid Où ton coeur se pose!

The past three poems have all been set to music by the French composer Gabrielle Fauré (1845- 1924). He is by far one of the most famous French composers to this date. The poems mentioned above have been used as lyrics in the songs: 1- Le Papillion et la Fleur Op. 1 No. 1 (poem published in 1835, song published in 1869) 2- Mai Op.1 No. 2 (poem published at an unknown date, song published in 1871) 3- Reve D’Amour Op. 5 No. 2 (poem published in 1834, song published in 1865)

The Genesis of Butterflies The dawn is smiling on the dew that covers The tearful roses; lo, the little lovers That kiss the buds, and all the flutterings In jasmine bloom, and privet, of white wings, That go and come, and fly, and peep and hide, With muffled music, murmured far and wide! Ah, Spring time, when we think of all the lays That dreamy lovers send to dreamy mays, Of the fond hearts within a billet bound, Of all the soft silk paper that pens wound, The messages of love that mortals write Filled with intoxication of delight, Written in April, and before the May time Shredded and flown, play things for the wind's play-time, We dream that all white butterflies above, Who seek through clouds or waters souls to love, And leave their lady mistress in despair, To flit to flowers, as kinder and more fair, Are but torn love-letters, that through the skies Flutter, and float, and change to Butterflies.

The Grave and the Rose The Grave said to the Rose, 'What of the dews of dawn, Love's flower, what end is theirs?' 'And what of spirits flown, The souls whereon doth close The tomb's mouth unawares?' The Rose said to the Grave. The Rose said, 'In the shade From the dawn's tears is made A perfume faint and strange, Amber and honey sweet.' 'And all the spirits fleet Do suffer a sky-change, More strangely than the dew, To God's own angels new,' The Grave said to the Rose.

More Strong Than Time Since I have set my lips to your full cup, my sweet, Since I my pallid face between your hands have laid, Since I have known your soul, and all the bloom of it, And all the perfume rare, now buried in the shade; Since it was given to me to hear one happy while, The words wherein your heart spoke all its mysteries, Since I have seen you weep, and since I have seen you smile, Your lips upon my lips, and your eyes upon my eyes; Since I have known above my forehead glance and gleam, A ray, a single ray, of your star, veiled always, Since I have felt the fall, upon my lifetime's stream, Of one rose petal plucked from the roses of your days; I now am bold to say to the swift changing hours, Pass, pass upon your way, for I grow never old, Fleet to the dark abysm with all your fading flowers, One rose that none may pluck, within my heart I hold. Your flying wings may smite, but they can never spill The cup fulfilled of love, from which my lips are wet; My heart has far more fire than you have frost to chill, My soul more love than you can make my soul forget.

Discussion Questions 1- What emotions do you think Hugo conveys in the perspective of the flower? 2- Do you feel you can relate to this poem? 3- Do you agree with the phrase “and we resemble one another - some say that both of us are flowers”? Why or why not? 4- What do you think Hugo means when the flower says “Oh my king!”? 5- For those of you who understand French, do you think the translation is as effective as the French? Why or why not? 6- What do you think the butterfly represents?