French Literature Reviews - 2026
St. Bernier-Tomas, Storytelling in Verse in the Age of Enlightenment: From Salonnier Entertainment to the Libertine Genre
Poetry and Poetics
Stéphanie Bernier-Tomas, Conter en vers au siècle des Lumières. Du divertissement mondain au genre libertin, Honoré Champion, "Les Dix-Huitièmes siècles" series, 2015.
EAN13 : 9782745328489.
- 784 pages
- 150 EUR
Stemming from occasional poetry, the verse narrative is a direct outgrowth of the art of conversation, which was so prized at the time that it dictated themes to writers and shaped the poetics of their texts. Libertine in its philosophy, the tale is above all libertarian through its allusive and subversive, playful and mischievous writing style.
Stéphanie Bernier-Tomas, holder of the agrégation in Modern Literature and a Ph.D. in Literature, conducts research on 18th-century poetry, minor and marginal genres of the century, and libertinism.
The eighteenth-century verse narrative occupies a distinct space within French literary history, bridging the gap between polite salon sociability and the subversive currents of Enlightenment thought. Stemming from occasional poetry, the verse narrative is a direct outgrowth of the art of conversation, which was so prized at the time that it dictated themes to writers and shaped the poetics of their texts. Scholars of the Enlightenment often examine how such seemingly light forms served as vehicles for philosophical critique and playful experimentation, engaging readers through witty allusions and stylistic refinement rather than solemn didacticism.
Readers interested in eighteenth-century poetry, the history of libertine literature, and the poetics of narrative verse may find this study relevant. Stéphanie Bernier-Tomas, holder of the agrégation in Modern Literature and a Ph.D. in Literature, conducts research on 18th-century poetry, minor and marginal genres of the century, and libertinism. Libertine in its philosophy, the tale is above all libertarian through its allusive and subversive, playful and mischievous writing style.
Table of Contents (PDF)