La Légende des siècles tome IV by Victor Hugo
"La Légende des siècles tome IV" by Victor Hugo is a collection of poems written in the late 19th century. This volume offers an epic, panoramic meditation on humanity—its wars and ideals, its faith in science and justice, and its struggle between darkness and progress. Readers encounter mythic invocations, historical portraits, and moral allegories that link ancient heroism to modern conscience. The opening of the collection contrasts the old war‑glorifying muse with
a new muse of peace, then defends scientific courage through the story of Halley, mocked for foretelling a comet that duly returns. It extols the poet as a world unto himself and unfolds a sustained elegy on Napoleon—his defeat, exile, and ceremonial “return”—set amid reflections on France’s destiny. A vision of Truth shows seers persecuted before truth reappears, leading into historical and humane vignettes: Jean Chouan’s self‑sacrifice, a commander giving mercy to a treacherous enemy, a nun tearing her guimpe to save a wounded youth, and a stark narrative of holding the cemetery at Eylau. Brief closing pieces choose Duty over Shame, appeal for divine justice from exile, and end with the bronze itself condemning statues that honor the unworthy. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Hugo, Victor, 1802-1885 |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Flameng, François, 1856-1923 |
| Title | La Légende des siècles tome IV |
| Original Publication | Paris: Hetzel-Quantin, 1880. |
| Series Title | Œuvres complètes de Victor Hugo - Poésie X |
| Credits | Claudine Corbasson and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries) |
| Language | French |
| LoC Class | PQ: Language and Literatures: Romance literatures: French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese |
| Subject | French poetry -- 19th century |
| Category | Text |
| EBook-No. | 76907 |
| Release Date | Sep 21, 2025 |
| Copyright Status | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 245 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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