Marie Noël

Noël, Marie (pseud. of Marie Rouget) (1883-1967). Widely recognized as one of the foremost Catholic poets of her time, Noël allies a profound religious sensibility with an intense feeling for the rustic beauty of her native Burgundy. Born at Auxerre, she lived there for the rest of her life publishing collections of poems at regular intervals (including Les Chansons et les heures, 1920; Les Chants de la merci, 1930; Chants et psaumes d'automme, 1947). The popular success she progressively built up was further enhanced by her charming volumes of contes (such as La Rose rouge, 1961). Classical in their versification, but generally song-like in register and rhythm, Noël's poems impress by their gentle solemnity and musicality. Her Notes intimes (1959) contain moving meditations on her spiritual life in its everyday context.

[Michael Sheringham]