Gregh, Fernand

Born Oct. 14, 1873, in Paris; died Jan. 5, 1960, in Voulainvilliers. French poet and critic. Member of the Académie Française beginning in 1953.

The Parnassians and symbolists influenced Gregh’s early poetry, including the collections House of Childhood (1897), Joy of Life (1900), and Golden Minutes (1905). Soon, however, he proclaimed a return to nature and an antiartist viewpoint, and he developed the tradition of 19th-century French poetry, particularly that of Hugo, in the books Eternal Chain (1910), Tormenting Crown (1917), and Color of Life (1923). His critical works are distinguished by original thought (The Works of Victor Hugo, 1933, and An Essay on French Poetry, 1936). Also of interest are Gregh’s memoirs— The Golden Age (1947–56) and My Friendship With Marcel Proust (1958).