LOUIS ARAGON: BIOGRAPHY, STYLE AND WORKS - LITERATURE - 2025

Louis Aragon (1897-1982) was a French writer, poet and novelist, who was part of the artistic and cultural movement known as Dadaism. He has also been considered one of the founders of the current called surrealism.

Aragon was a poet who wrote to love. Most of his work was inspired by his wife, and at times he also reflected his personal story. In addition, it was characterized by the development of two plots in the narrative, and its departure from realistic elements.

Louis Aragon. Source: Bibliothèque nationale de France, via Wikimedia Commons

On the other hand, the poet was a consistent political actor. He was part of the French Communist Party, and also frequently attended the Congress of Revolutionary Writers held in the former Soviet Union, also supported the labor movement.

Biography

Birth and family

Louis was born on October 3, 1897 in Paris. His parents were Louis Andrieux - politician and diplomat, who did not recognize him as a legitimate son - and Marguerite Toucas. Until the age of nineteen, they made him believe that his mother was his sister, which caused him great emotional wounds.

Aragon education and entry to the literary world

Aragon's years of education were spent in his native Paris. Upon completing his high school studies, he chose to study medicine. However, in 1917 he took a hiatus to volunteer in the First World War. During that time he met the writers Philippe Soupault and André Breton.

Later, in 1919, he resumed his medical studies, and began an internship at a Paris hospital. At that time he returned to contact with Breton and Soupault, and together they created the magazine Littérature, in Spanish Literatura, whose content was oriented to the Dada movement.

New ideas and communism

In 1923, Aragon, together with the founders of Littérature, came up with the idea of ​​surrealism as a movement that went beyond reality. So, with the intention of creating new ideas in literature, they produced the magazine La révolution surréaliste or The Surrealist Revolution.

Later the group decided that the printed medium would be called Le surréalisme au service de la révolution or, in Spanish, Surrealism at the service of the revolution. Those were the years where Aragon was influenced by Apollinaire. In 1927 he began to serve in the French Communist Party.

First works

Aragon's first works date from 1920, with the marked influence of Guillaume Apollinaire and Isidore Lucien Ducasse, better known as Count de Lautréamont. Such is the case of titles such as Feu de joie or La hoguera, and Le mouvement perpétuel or The perpetual motion.

However, his most renowned work at that time was The Peasant of Paris, which dealt with the day-to-day life of society; in addition to the essay Treaty of style, which was a reflection of the way of thinking and acting of the new descendants.

Aragon's love

In 1928 Louis Aragon met in Paris the Russian writer Elza Yúrievna Kagán, better known as Elsa Triolet. They began a love relationship, until they got married on February 28, 1939. She became his life partner and maximum inspiration.

Political activity

Starting in 1930, Louis began an active participation in the Congress of Revolutionary Writers in the Soviet Union. This experience led him to move away from the surrealist current, and his literary commitment, like the political one, began to take seriousness.

So in those years he supported the working class, joining the different protests they held in search of job improvements. He also took over the newspaper Ce soir, and also became a popularizer of the realist literature of the Soviets.

Political content literature

Louis Aragon's intention of a literature of political content during the 1930s occurred within uncertainties of whether he would like to or not, as was the case with Hurray for the Urals, whose purpose was the fabrication of socialism. In the poem he reflected some political experiences, with the aim of propaganda.

Later, the writer changed his strategy and developed the series of novels El mundo real, where he showed the French society of his time, from the criticism of the powerful groups. They stood out among the stories: The bells of Basilia, The beautiful neighborhoods and The travelers of the imperial.

Return to poetry

During World War II Louis returned to the path to poetry. He began to write from love and for love, having his wife Elsa as an inspiring muse. Some of the works from those years were Elsa's eyes, The heart breaks and The French Diana.

After the Germans vacated France, the poet wanted to write again within the lines of socialist realism. That was the stage of The Communists, a work of simple content. However, La Semana Santa was his most important work of that period.

Last years and death

Aragon's literary life was always productive. But from the sixties his works stopped dealing with the realities of socialism, to become more literary and elegant. Such was the case of Blanca, or El oblivion, and La mentira reales.

Grave of Louis Aragon and Elsa Triolet in the Moulin de Villeneuve park in Saint-Arnoult-en-Yvelines. Source: Accrochoc, via Wikimedia Commons

He remained active in the production of poetry, with anthologies such as Loco por Elsa and Las dismisidas y otros poemas. Over the years his health began to deteriorate, and he died on December 24, 1982 in Paris. His remains rest with his wife in the Molino de Villeneve park.

Style

Although a part of Louis Aragon's work was developed within political and propagandistic guidelines, linked to socialist realism, it is also true that his poetic work was charged with feelings. His lyrics were characterized by being sublime and intense, with a harmonious and elegant language.

In the case of his novels or narrative works, the writer used the use of two plots or stories. At the same time that the events raised varied between reality and fiction, as a way to catch the reader, without being entirely realistic.

Plays

Poetry

- Elsa's eyes (1942).

- Elsa (1959).

- Crazy about Elsa (1963).

Logo of the French Communist Party, where Aragon was active. Source: See page for author, via Wikimedia Commons

- Rooms (1969).

Novels and other prose

- Aniceto or El Panorama (1921).

- The debauchery (1924).

- The Peasant of Paris (1926).

- The instant (1928).

- A wave of dreams (1932).

- The Communists (1949-1951).

- Easter (1958).

- Time to die (1965).

- From the series The real world:

- The bells of Basel (1933).

- The beautiful neighborhoods (1936).

- Travelers of the Imperial (1942).

- Aurélien (1945).

Test

- Treaty of style (1928).

References

1. Louis Aragon. (2019). Cuba: Ecu Red. Recovered from: ecured.cu.
2. Louis Aragon. (2019). Spain: Wikipedia. Recovered from: wikipedia.org.
3. Tamaro, E. (2004-2019). Louis Aragon. (N / a): Biographies and Lives. Recovered from: biografiasyvidas.com.
4. Martin, R. (2008-2019). Louis Aragon. France: Robert Martin, Le Partenaire Créatif. Recovered from: edrmartin.com.
5. Moreno, V., Ramírez, M. and others. (2018). Louis Aragon. (N / a): Search Biographies. Recovered from: Buscabiografias.com.