Charles Peguy French poet, playwright, essayist and editor. Date of Birth: 07.01.1873 Country: France

Biography of Charles Peguy

Charles Peguy was a French poet, playwright, journalist, essayist, and editor. He was born on January 7, 1873, in Orleans, France, to Desire Peguy, a carpenter, and Cecile Quere. Unfortunately, Charles' father passed away from stomach cancer when he was just a baby, leaving his upbringing to his grandmother and mother, who earned a living by repairing chairs.

From 1879 to 1885, Charles attended a primary school affiliated with the Orleans Normal School, a college that prepared teachers. It was during this time that he caught the attention of the school's director, Theodore Naudy, who secured a scholarship for Charles to continue his education. Although he was an excellent student, his teachers noted his rebellious nature.

Eventually, Charles obtained his bachelor's degree on July 21, 1891. As a half-state scholarship student, he prepared for the entrance exams to the prestigious Ecole Normale Superieure in the Lycee Lakanal in Sceaux, a suburb of Paris, and then in Sainte-Barbe. According to his classmate, it was during this period that Charles Peguy became a convinced anti-clerical.

Taking advantage of the educational reforms of the French Republic, Peguy became a student at the Ecole Normale Superieure on July 31, 1894, ranking sixth out of the twenty-four students accepted. Additionally, he served in the 131st Infantry Regiment from September 1892 to September 1893. During his studies, Peguy attended lectures by Henri Bergson and Romain Rolland, with whom he developed a friendship. Although he officially left his studies without completing his higher education in 1897, he continued to attend lectures the following year.

Influenced by Lucien Herr, the librarian of the Ecole Normale Superieure, Peguy became a fervent supporter of Alfred Dreyfus. From 1900 until his death in 1914, he was the main author and editor of the literary journal "Les Cahiers de la Quinzaine," which supported the activities of the Socialist Party and its leader Jean Jaures. However, Peguy later distanced himself from Jaures, considering him a traitor to the nation and the socialist cause. In the journal, Peguy published not only his own writings and poetry but also important works by contemporaries such as Romain Rolland.

On October 28, 1897, Peguy entered into a civil marriage with Charlotte-Francoise Baudouin, the sister of one of his closest friends. They had four children: Marcel, Germaine, Pierre, and Charles-Pierre, who was born after his father's death.

Peguy served as a reserve lieutenant and was mobilized in August 1914. He died on September 5, 1914, during the early stages of the Battle of the Marne, after being shot in the forehead. This occurred in Villeroy, Seine-et-Marne department. His poem "Portico of the Mystery of the Second Virtue" went on to have more than 60 editions in France and became a favorite book of Charles de Gaulle.