Louis-Honoré Fréchette facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Louis-Honoré Fréchette
|
|
|---|---|
Fréchette, 1900
|
|
| Born | November 16, 1839 Lévis, Lower Canada |
| Died | May 31, 1908 (aged 68) |
| Occupation | poet, playwright, short story writer |
| Notable awards | Prix Montyon, CMG |
Louis-Honoré Fréchette (born November 16, 1839 – died May 31, 1908) was a famous Canadian poet, politician, and writer. He wrote plays and short stories too. He was the first person from Quebec to win a special award called the Prix Montyon from France. This made him the first Canadian to get such a high honor from a European country for his writing.
Contents
Early Life and School
Louis-Honoré Fréchette was born in Lévis, which was then called Lower Canada. From 1854 to 1860, he went to different schools. These included the Séminaire de Québec, Collège de Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pocatière, and Séminaire de Nicolet. After finishing these studies, he went on to study law at Université Laval.
Fréchette's Career and Achievements
Starting as a Lawyer and Writer
In 1864, Fréchette opened his own law office in Lévis. He also started two newspapers there: Le drapeau de Lévis and La Tribune de Levis. Later, he moved to Chicago for a while. During this time, he wrote a book called La voix d'un exilé. Sadly, many of the plays he wrote back then were lost in the Great Chicago Fire.
Becoming a Politician
Fréchette returned to Quebec in 1871. He tried to become a politician for Lévis in the provincial elections that year, but he did not win. However, in 1874, he was elected as a Member of Parliament in Ottawa. He served in the House of Commons of Canada from 1874 to 1878. He represented the area of Lévis as a member of the Liberal Party of Canada. He was not re-elected in 1878.
Focusing on Writing
After his time in politics, Fréchette moved to Montreal. He had inherited money from his aunt, which allowed him to focus on writing full-time. He became the first Quebecer to win the Montyon Prize from the Académie française. He won this award for his collection of poems called Les Fleurs boréales, les oiseaux de neige in 1879.
Friendship with Mark Twain
In 1881, Fréchette received an honorary law degree from Queen's College, Kingston. That same year, he met the famous American writer Mark Twain in Montreal. Fréchette greatly admired Twain's writing. The two became good friends and often shared their works and favorite books. In 1882, Mark Twain even joked about Fréchette's poems at a banquet in Holyoke. He said that in translation, Fréchette's sad poems became funny, and his funny poems became sad.
Later Life and Legacy
In 1897, Fréchette was given a special honor called Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George. He passed away in 1908 and was buried at the Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery in Montreal. To honor him, Canada Post released a postage stamp with his picture on July 7, 1989. In 1991, a French immersion school named Louis Honoré Fréchette Public School opened in Thornhill, Ontario.
Notable Works by Fréchette
Poetry
- La voix d'un exilé (1866)
- La découverte du Mississippi (1873)
- Pêle-mêle (1877)
- La Légende d'un peuple (1877)
- Poésies choisies (1879)
- Les Fleurs boréales, les oiseaux de neige (1879)
- Quebec (1887)
Short Stories
- L'Iroquoise du lac Saint-Pierre (1861)
- Originaux et détraqués (1892), which was based on real people
- Les contes de Jos Violon
- Christmas in French Canada (1899)
Plays
- Le retour de l'exilé (1880)
- Papineau (1880)
- Félix Poutré (1892)
See also
In Spanish: Louis-Honoré Fréchette para niños
