Maurice Maeterlinck
| Maurice Maeterlinck | |
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| Born | Maurice Polydore Marie Bernard 29 August 1862 Ghent, Belgium |
| Died | 6 May 1949 (aged 86) Nice, France |
| Occupation | Playwright · Poet · Essayist |
| Language | French |
| Nationality | Belgian |
| Alma mater | University of Ghent |
| Literary movement | Symbolism |
| Notable works |
Intruder (1890) The Blind (1890) Interior (1895) The Blue Bird (1908) |
| Notable awards |
Nobel Prize in Literature 1911 Triennial Prize for Dramatic Literature 1903 |
| Spouse | Renée Dahon |
| Partner | Georgette Leblanc |
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Maurice Polydore Marie Bernard Maeterlinck (also called Comte (Count) Maeterlinck from 1932;[mo.ʁis ma.tɛʁ.lɛ̃ːk] in Belgium, [mɛ.teʁ.lɛ̃ːk] in France; 29 August 1862 – 6 May 1949) was a Belgian playwright, poet, and essayist who was Flemish but wrote in French. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1911 "in appreciation of his many-sided literary activities, and especially of his dramatic works, which are distinguished by a wealth of imagination and by a poetic fancy, which reveals, sometimes in the guise of a fairy tale, a deep inspiration, while in a mysterious way they appeal to the readers' own feelings and stimulate their imaginations". The main themes in his work are death and the meaning of life. His plays form an important part of the Symbolist movement. In later life, Maeterlinck committed plagiarism.
Maeterlinck was born in Ghent, Belgium, to a wealthy, French-speaking family. His mother, Mathilde Colette Françoise (née Van den Bossche), came from a wealthy family. His father, Polydore, was a notary who enjoyed tending the greenhouses on their property.
In September 1874 he was sent to the Jesuit College of Sainte-Barbe, where works of the French Romantics were scorned and only plays on religious subjects were permitted. His experiences at this school influenced his distaste for the Catholic Church and organized religion.
He had written poems and short novels during his studies, but his father wanted him to go into law. After finishing his law studies at the University of Ghent in 1885, he spent a few months in Paris, France. He met some members of the new Symbolism movement, Villiers de l'Isle Adam in particular, who would have a great influence on Maeterlinck's subsequent work.
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