Biography of Paul Eluard

A shower of poems

14 October 1895
November 18, 1952
Paul Elaurd was born in Saint Denis (France) on 14 October 1895. His real name is Eugene, Emile, Paul Grindel, but at the same time that he decides to approach the poetry chooses the surname Eluard, that of his maternal grandmother. The father Clément is an accountant and her mother does odd jobs to help tailoring housewife the family economy. Paul turns in poor health from his earliest childhood and at sixteen the mother accompanies him in Switzerland because of some lung problems. In December 1902 he was admitted to the sanatorium following the diagnosis of tuberculosis. The period lived in sanatorium is central to Paul Eluard: it is here that he writes his first poems and is also where he meets his muse, star of many of his poems, the young Russian Helena Dmitrievna Diakinava. The two fall in love and stay close for as long as Paul remains in sanatorium, namely until February 1914. He calls her affectionately Gala, and under this name the introduces in his poetry.
In 1913 he published his first collection "Loisirs, Pierrot, Les cinq rondels de tuou jeune homme" signing Paul Eugène Eluard. Paul and Gala would like to marry, but parents holding them because of their youth and economic difficulties that would certainly encounter. Gala returns as well in Russia and Paul, become nurses, is sent to the front on 3 August 1914. The experience of the first world war and the terrible massacre of his fellows that will assist the marks in the deep, intimate point of view, than physical. While it is still the public face even a collection of poems, "Le devoir", in which it expresses its abhorrence for war and signing simply as Paul Eluard. In September 1916 Gala finally returns in France and they were married shortly after in 1917. After only one year was also their first and only daughter, Cécile. Meanwhile, the inspiration of poetry becomes Gala of Paul Eluard, who publishes the collection "Le devoir et la baignade en famille" (1917).
Thanks to the publication of "Les poèmes pour la paix" acquainted with André Breton and later also enters the surrealist movement, becoming one of the main animators. First, however, to be part of the surrealists, the French poet attended for a short time, about three years, the Group of Dadaists, establishing at the same time the magazine "Dinu" (1920). After breaking with the movement Dada, starts for Paul a hard time: in fact conflicts with his father because of economic problems in which the poet is being debated, and also its link with Gala begins to creak. So, after the publication of "Mourir pour ne pas mourir", part secretly from Marseilles for a trip around the world. Gala and his friends are convinced that Paul is dead, because during his absence gives no news by itself, nor will ever of this mysterious journey.
Despite this headbutt, Gala joins him on a trip to Asia during the summer of 1924. On his return to France, Eluard joined actively in the surrealist group and joined the Communist Party. It also publishes the collection "Capitale de la douleur". His relationship with Gala enters though again in crisis and in 1930 the woman leaves him for the painter Salvador Dali. In the same year Eluard meets second great love of his life: the Alsatian Maria Benz, which attaches the sobriquet of Nusch, which appears in many poems. From this moment life poetry of Paul Eluard becomes full of publications: "La vie immédiate" (1932); "La rose publique" (1934), "Donner à voir" (1939). During the resistance his political passion led him to be a poet fighter, universally recognized as such. He was responsible for the clandestine publication in 1942 of "Poésie et Vérité" that contains the famous poem "Liberté", which British planes parachuted from the heavens as incitement to resistance.
Paul is also part of the Communist Party from which he was expelled for some disagreements on the Soviet political model. At the end of the war is celebrated and surrounded by the love of French General for his role during the resistance. Unfortunately, his private life was again marred by tragedy: Nusch dies of a cerebral hemorrhage in 1946. Paul Eluard is so desperate that he even thinks about suicide, but manages to pay homage to his Nusch dedicating many of the poems in the collection "Le temps déborde" (1947). The meeting with Dominique, three years after the death of his companion, manages to heal wounds of Paul, who remarried in 1951. Dominique will be the inspiration for the collection of poems "Le Phénix". The following year the celebration of the wedding her poor health causes a heart attack: Paul Eluard died on 18 November 1952 after he published his last collection of poems: "Les sentiers et routes de la poésie".
Article contributed by the team of collaborators.