Vigny, << vee NYEE, >> Alfred de (1797-1863), a French author, was a leading figure in the Romantic movement. He is best known for his lyric and descriptive poetry. From his Antique and Modern Poems (1826) to Les Destinées (1864), Vigny’s themes include the solitude of individuals of genius, the alienation of God from humanity, the search for greatness through suffering and resignation, and the nobility of thought as expressed in philosophical poetry. His other works include the play Chatterton (1835), the novel Cinq-Mars (1826), and a collection of tales, Military Servitude and Grandeur (1835).
Vigny was born on March 27, 1797, in Loches. He spent much of his life living in isolation on his estate. An unhappy love affair with an actress and his failure to win political office intensified his sense of loneliness. He died on Sept. 17, 1863.
