Victor Hugo

(1802 - 1885)

Hugo was a powerful genius.

SRI AUROBINDO

par La Légende des siecles

Tout reposait dans Ur et dans Jérimadeth;
Les astres émaillent le ciel profond et sombre;
Le croissant fin et clair parmi ces fleurs de l’ombre
Brillait à l’occident, et Ruth se demandait,

Immobile, ouvrant l’œil à moitié sous ses voiles,
Quel dieu, quel moissonneur de l’éternel été,
Avait, en s’en allant, négligemment jeté
Cette faucille d’or dans le champ des étoiles.

Sri Aurobindo’s remarks:

«Hugo moissonneur and faucille d’or is an ingenious fancy — there is nothing true behind it, not the least shadow of a mystical experience.»

«Victor Hugo in the Légende des Siècles tries to be epic and often succeeds, perhaps even on the whole.»

«Hugo might be described as a great but imperfect genius, who just missed the very first rank because his word sometimes exceeded his weight, because his height was at the best considerable, even magnificent, but his depth insufficient and especially because he was often too oratorical to be quite sincere.»