Frederic Mistral is recognized as one of the outstanding poets of the nineteenth century in France. The author of several famous epics is even more revered for his dedication to the preservation of the Provencal language.
Biography
Frederic Mistral was born on September 8, 1830 in the family of Adelaide and Francois Mistral. Its homeland is Mayianne, a commune in southeastern France, located between Avignon and Arles. Francois Mistral, a wealthy farmer and landowner, married Adelaide, daughter of Mayor Mayanne, at the age of 53 after the death of his first wife.
Mistral's parents spoke the Lang d'Oil dialect, which is the basis of the Old French language and which is different from modern French. Later, in his memoirs, he wrote: “When townspeople occasionally came to our farm, those who pretended to speak only French were very puzzled and even embarrassed. My parents suddenly began to treat the stranger incredibly respectfully, as if they felt his superiority " This fact has generated in the boy an interest in local history, folklore and culture. When Frederick was eight years old, his parents were puzzled by his training. First, the boy was sent to a boarding school in the abbey of Saint-Michel de Frigole, which was located two hours from Mayanne. When the school closed, he continued his studies in Avignon. Here Frederick also attended a boarding school. And then the Royal de Avignon College, where he read the epic verses of Virgil and Homer. At the school, Mistral was surrounded by French-speaking students and again found out about the lower status of the language he considered native. However, he soon met Joseph Rumanil, the new professor, who became a member of the college teachers a year after Frederick arrived. Rumanil also wrote lyric poetry in Mistral's native lang d'Oil. A friendship was established between the professor and the student based on a common heritage. The couple soon made a friendship based on their common heritage. "Until now, I have read only certain passages in Provencal, and I have always been annoyed that this is our language… Usually used only as a mockery. But Rumanil in his magnificent voice with dignity and simplicity expressed in the language of the people all the noblest feelings of the heart" - the poet recalled in his memoirs. Mistral and Rumanil were soon puzzled by the need to preserve the Provencal language and culture.
In 1847, after graduating from college, Frederick went to the city of Nimes, where he received a bachelor's degree. In the winter of 1848, revolutionaries overthrew the French government, and Mistral published a poem in several local newspapers that severely criticized the idea of the monarchy. In the same year he entered the faculty of law of the University of Aix-en-Provence, graduating from which, in 1851 he returned to the family farm. At home, he continued to study poetry and preserve Provencal culture and language.
Creative activity
In 1852, an anthology was published on the Lang d'Oil, which, in addition to Rumanil, Theodore Obanel, included the works of Frederic Mistral. A few years later, namely on May 21, 1854, this group, together with Alfonso Tavan, Jean Brunet and Victor Gelu, founded the Felibrige society, whose main goal was to carefully preserve and revive the active use of the Provencal language. Soon, Felibrige began to publish a magazine called Felibrige. Frederick Mistral devoted the next two decades of his life to this project. The case, which began as a hobby for him, over time acquired tremendous value. In 1859, Rumanil, noting the contribution of Mistral to the Provencal literary movement, published his epic poem entitled "Mireille."
The plot is based on a love story between a wealthy peasant woman Mireille and a poor young man Vinchen. The girl’s parents do not approve of their romance and she seeks help from the patron saints of Provence. During his journey, Mireille falls ill and shortly before her death, the saints visit her. In 1864, Charles Gounod adapted the poem for his opera of the same name. The next major publication of Mistral was the poem "Calendal", which tells of a heroic fisherman who saves his country from tyranny. By 1880, he completed his scientific work, The Treasury of the Felibers, which was published in several volumes between 1880 and 1886. In addition to documenting various dialects of the Provencal lang d'Oil, it includes folklore, as well as works on the culture and traditions of the region. In 1884, Mistral published Nerto, an epic poem that differs in tone and rhyme from his earlier works. Based on a Provencal tale, Nerto tells the story of a young girl whose father sold her soul to the devil. In 1890, he published the play Queen Jeanne. The following year, he launched the Provencal newspaper L'Aioli. In 1897, Mistral's new work, The Rhone Poem, saw the light of day.
In 1904, Mistral founded the Provencal Museum in Arles. In the same year, his work as a poet and guardian of the Provencal language and customs was recognized by the Nobel Prize in literature, which he shared with Jose Echegaray from Spain. Mistral sent his proceeds from the award to expand the museum in Arles. The last collection of poems that appeared during his lifetime was "Collecting Olives", published in 1912.
