Sainte-Beuve Charles Augustin (Sainte-Beuve Charles Augustin)

(1804-1869)
Born December 23, 1804 in Boulogne-sur-Mer. After completing secondary education in Paris, went to medical school, but the course was not finished. Laudatory articles about the odes and ballads Victor Hugo brought together Sainte-Beuve to the leader of the Romantics, their close friendship and literary collaboration lasted until 1834. At this time the name of Sainte-Beuve is inseparable from the Romantic movement. In this paper, historical and critical review of French poetry and theater in the XVI. (Tableau de la posie et du thtre franais au XVIe sicle, 1828), one of the first scientific studies of this period, Sainte-Beuve declared SP Ronsard and other poets of the Pleiades forerunners of romanticism. However, . inspired by Victor Hugo, . Sainte-Beuve, and actually wanted to become famous literary creations, . published several collections of mediocre and boring poems, . well as novel Sensuality (Volupt, . 1834), . which depicted the story of his unrequited love for his wife Hugo,
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In 1837, Sainte-Beuve, was invited to lecture in Lausanne (Switzerland), where he began his monumental history of Port-Royal (Histoire de Port-Royal, 1840-1860) - the most authoritative work on Jansenism. In 1844 he was elected to the French Academy. Having obtained the chair of literature at the University of Liц?ge (Belgium), he gave lectures on Chateaubriand. In these years Sainte-Beuve has strengthened its credibility criticism. His articles analyzing the work of writers - the modern and the past centuries and dedicated to the most significant studies on these, . published in books of literary criticism Portraits (Critiques et portraits littraires, . 1832-1836), . Literary Portraits (Portraits littraires, . 1862-1864) and Modern Portraits (Portraits contemporains, . 1869-1871),
. The most famous literary critiques of Sainte-Beuve entered the collections of interviews on Mondays (Causeries du lundi, 1849-1861) and New Mondays (Nouveaux Lundis, 1861-1866).

Sainte-Beuve was the founder of modern literary criticism, which is based on a sound historical approach has evolved from art to science, with its own set of rules and requirements. For Sainte-Beuve a literary work is inseparable from its creator, . Therefore, the method is founded on careful study of biographies of the author - including genealogy, . immediate family environment, . religion, . Education, . external appearances of, . love affairs, . financial situation and the weakness of character,
. Sainte-Beuve found similarities among the writers of different, sometimes very far away ages. Development of the method have contributed rare personal qualities of Sainte-Beuve: an exceptional sense of responsibility in establishing the dates, names, boundless curiosity, wisdom and insight. Died Sainte-Beuve in Paris on October 13, 1869.