French Literature Reviews - 2026

É. Dayre, Une histoire dissemblable
Other Literary Studies

Review published in Acta Fabula: "Discord and Harmony in English Romanticism: Poetic Ideal, Democratic Ideal" by Corinne Bayle.

Éric Dayre, Une histoire dissemblable. Le tournant poétique du romantisme anglais 1797-1834.

Paris: Éditions Hermann, coll. "Savoirs Lettres", 2010.

610 p.

Price: 48 EUR.

EAN: 9782705670795.

Publisher's overview:

From Godwin's Political Justice to Shelley's Prometheus, the Romantic reference to justice remains constant. It transcends the ideological divides among writers, all of whom sense that literature must be permeated by an imperative of universal justice, the sole guarantor of freedom. Romantic prose thus intertwines two origins: one philosophical, grounded in the engaged readings of poets like Coleridge; the other political, shedding light on the engagement of the Romantic subject within the history of their time. This book traces the history of English Romanticism, demonstrating how this movement enabled the emergence—and indeed the invention—of a poetic form distinct from history. Between 1797 and 1834, Godwin, Coleridge, Keats, Shelley, Lamb, Landor, De Quincey, and Wordsworth forged a delicate link between politics and literature, assigning poetry a new role: that of translating, through a rhythmic, active, and literary form, an ideal of democracy that did not yet exist. What, then, is "Romantic prose," if not this novel literary style that revitalizes the debate on the meaning of political activity, justice, and freedom?

A translator of numerous texts by De Quincey (notably Autobiographical Sketches and Essays on Style, Rhetoric, and Language), author of a study on De Quincey and Kant (Les proses du temps, 2002) and L'absolu comparé. Littérature et traduction (Hermann, 2009), and a specialist in 19th- and 20th-century English and European literatures, Éric Dayre teaches comparative literature at the École normale supérieure de Lyon, where he also directs the Center for Comparative Studies and Research on Creation.

The Romantic period in England, spanning the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, is often defined by a profound shift in the relationship between creative expression and social reality. While the movement is frequently associated with the exaltation of individual emotion and the natural world, it also engaged deeply with the radical political transformations of the era. This study situates the works of figures like Wordsworth, Shelley, and Coleridge within a tradition of intellectual engagement that sought to redefine the purpose of literature in a changing society.

The concept of Romantic prose reflects an attempt to synthesize political theory with aesthetic innovation. By examining how authors such as Lamb, Keats, and De Quincey navigated the tension between historical events and poetic invention, the work addresses the development of a form of writing that aimed to articulate democratic ideals. Readers interested in the evolution of nineteenth-century literary aesthetics and the historical context of English Romanticism may find this analysis relevant. It examines how these writers utilized rhythmic and active structures to address contemporary debates regarding freedom and the nature of political activity.