Alphonse de Lamartine was a French politician who was instrumental in the foundation of the Second Republic and the continuation of the Tricolour as the flag of France. Receiving fewer than 19,000 votes in the presidential election of 1848, he wisely chose to retire from politics and dedicate himself to literature. Raphaël, based on the poet’s real-life love affair with Julie Charles, was criticized as being old-fashioned and sentimental even when first published in 1849. However, it remains an impressive treatment of Lamartine’s favorite subjects: religion, love, politics, and nature. French text.
