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Henri Franck was born in Paris into an family of the Jewish [[bourgeoisie]]. His father was a sugar merchant and prominent [[Zionism|Zionist]]. His great-grandfather was Arnaud Aron, [[Chief Rabbi|chief rabbi]] of [[Strasbourg]], and among his cousins were [[Henri Bergson]] and [[Emmanuel Berl]].<ref name=”:0″>{{Cite web |title=Franck, Henri {{!}} Encyclopedia.com |url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/franck-henri |access-date=2025-10-10 |website=www.encyclopedia.com}}</ref> |
Henri Franck was born in Paris into an family of the Jewish [[bourgeoisie]]. His father was a sugar merchant and prominent [[Zionism|Zionist]]. His great-grandfather was Arnaud Aron, [[Chief Rabbi|chief rabbi]] of [[Strasbourg]], and among his cousins were [[Henri Bergson]] and [[Emmanuel Berl]].<ref name=”:0″>{{Cite web |title=Franck, Henri {{!}} Encyclopedia.com |url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/franck-henri |access-date=2025-10-10 |website=www.encyclopedia.com}}</ref> |
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He entered the [[École normale supérieure (Paris)|École normale supérieure]] in 1906, aged 17.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sirinelli |first=Jean-François |title=Génération intellectuelle: khâgneux et normaliens dans l’entre-deux-guerres |date=1988 |publisher=Fayard |isbn=978-2-213-02040-2 |location=Paris}}</ref> He was an exceptional student; he became deeply versed in French literature and ancient and modern philosophy, and was particularly interested in [[Baruch Spinoza|Spinoza]] and [[Friedrich Nietzsche|Nietzsche]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Henri Franck {{!}} Posen Library |url=https://www.posenlibrary.com/author/henri-franck |access-date=2025-10-10 |website=www.posenlibrary.com |language=en}}</ref> As [[Henri Massis]] recounts in his memoirs, Franck organized the resistance to the [[Action Française]] efforts against [[Amadée Thalamas]], a history professor at the [[Lycée Condorcet]]. When, after having cast doubt on the divine inspiration of [[Joan of Arc]], Thalamas was violently beaten by members of the [[Camelots du Roi]],<ref>{{Cite book |last=Brown |first=Frederick |title=The Embrace of Unreason: France 1914-1940 |date=2014 |publisher=Anchor Books}}</ref> “ |
He entered the [[École normale supérieure (Paris)|École normale supérieure]] in 1906, aged 17.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sirinelli |first=Jean-François |title=Génération intellectuelle: khâgneux et normaliens dans l’entre-deux-guerres |date=1988 |publisher=Fayard |isbn=978-2-213-02040-2 |location=Paris}}</ref> He was an exceptional student; he became deeply versed in French literature and ancient and modern philosophy, and was particularly interested in [[Baruch Spinoza|Spinoza]] and [[Friedrich Nietzsche|Nietzsche]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Henri Franck {{!}} Posen Library |url=https://www.posenlibrary.com/author/henri-franck |access-date=2025-10-10 |website=www.posenlibrary.com |language=en}}</ref> As [[Henri Massis]] recounts in his memoirs, Franck organized the resistance to the [[Action Française]] efforts against [[Amadée Thalamas]], a history professor at the [[Lycée Condorcet]]. When, after having cast doubt on the divine inspiration of [[Joan of Arc]], Thalamas was violently beaten by members of the [[Camelots du Roi]],<ref>{{Cite book |last=Brown |first=Frederick |title=The Embrace of Unreason: France 1914-1940 |date=2014 |publisher=Anchor Books}}</ref> “École normale, mobilized by [Franck’s] efforts, armed with clubs and wearing blue ribbons, went down the rue de l’Ulm to fight in the Latin Quarter, following their young chief, drunk with warlike joy.”<ref>{{Cite book |last=Massis |first=Henri |title=Évocations. Souvenirs (1905-1911) |publisher=Plon |year=1931 |pages=187}}</ref> Franck later had an affair with [[Anna de Noailles]], who was eleven years his senior.<ref name=”:1″>{{Cite book |last=Nemer |first=Monique |title=Raymond Radiguet |publisher=Fayard |year=2002 |pages=71-72 |language=fr}}</ref> |
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Franck’s poem ”La danse devant l’Arche”<ref>{{Cite book |last=Franck |first=Henri |url=http://archive.org/details/ladansedevantlar00fran |title=La danse devant l’arche |date=1912 |publisher=Paris : Nouvelle revue française |others=University of Ottawa}}</ref> (English: ”The Dance Before the Ark”) was one of the first works published by the [[Nouvelle Revue Française]], in 1911. The poem, 2,000 verses long and written with the encouragement of [[André Spire]], sought to reconcile biblical [[revelation]] with the [[French Enlightenment]], and figures the poet as [[David]] dancing in front of the [[Ark of the Covenant]].<ref name=”:0″ /> Some of the principal poetic influences for ”La danse devant l’Arche” were [[Paul Claudel]] and the [[Dreyfus affair|Dreyfusard]] Catholic writer [[Charles Péguy|Charles Péguy,]]<ref name=”:1″ />, along with [[Walt Whitman]] and [[Arthur Rimbaud]]<ref>{{Cite book |last=Puyaubert |first=Jacques |url=https://doi.org/10.4000/books.pur.21149 |title=Georges Bonnet |date=2007 |publisher=Presses universitaires de Rennes |isbn=978-2-7535-0424-0}}</ref>. Franck, like most French Jews, was deeply disturbed by the [[Dreyfus affair|Dreyfus Affair]], and anxiety around the reconcilability of Frenchness and Judaism is evident throughout the poem. |
Franck’s poem ”La danse devant l’Arche”<ref>{{Cite book |last=Franck |first=Henri |url=http://archive.org/details/ladansedevantlar00fran |title=La danse devant l’arche |date=1912 |publisher=Paris : Nouvelle revue française |others=University of Ottawa}}</ref> (English: ”The Dance Before the Ark”) was one of the first works published by the [[Nouvelle Revue Française]], in 1911. The poem, 2,000 verses long and written with the encouragement of [[André Spire]], sought to reconcile biblical [[revelation]] with the [[French Enlightenment]], and figures the poet as [[David]] dancing in front of the [[Ark of the Covenant]].<ref name=”:0″ /> Some of the principal poetic influences for ”La danse devant l’Arche” were [[Paul Claudel]] and the [[Dreyfus affair|Dreyfusard]] Catholic writer [[Charles Péguy|Charles Péguy,]]<ref name=”:1″ />, along with [[Walt Whitman]] and [[Arthur Rimbaud]]<ref>{{Cite book |last=Puyaubert |first=Jacques |url=https://doi.org/10.4000/books.pur.21149 |title=Georges Bonnet |date=2007 |publisher=Presses universitaires de Rennes |isbn=978-2-7535-0424-0}}</ref>. Franck, like most French Jews, was deeply disturbed by the [[Dreyfus affair|Dreyfus Affair]], and anxiety around the reconcilability of Frenchness and Judaism is evident throughout the poem. |
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Revision as of 03:45, 10 October 2025
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Henri Franck |
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| Born | December 2, 1888 |
| Died | February 25, 1912 (aged 23) |
| Notable work | La danse devant l’Arche |
Henri Franck was a French Jewish poet, best known for his long poem La danse devant l’Arche.
Life
Henri Franck was born in Paris into an family of the Jewish bourgeoisie. His father was a sugar merchant and prominent Zionist. His great-grandfather was Arnaud Aron, chief rabbi of Strasbourg, and among his cousins were Henri Bergson and Emmanuel Berl.[1]
He entered the École normale supérieure in 1906, aged 17.[2] He was an exceptional student; he became deeply versed in French literature and ancient and modern philosophy, and was particularly interested in Spinoza and Nietzsche.[3] As Henri Massis recounts in his memoirs, Franck organized the resistance to the Action Française efforts against Amadée Thalamas, a history professor at the Lycée Condorcet. When, after having cast doubt on the divine inspiration of Joan of Arc, Thalamas was violently beaten by members of the Camelots du Roi,[4] “the École normale, mobilized by [Franck’s] efforts, armed with clubs and wearing blue ribbons, went down the rue de l’Ulm to fight in the Latin Quarter, following their young chief, drunk with warlike joy.”[5] Franck later had an affair with Anna de Noailles, who was eleven years his senior.[6]
Franck’s poem La danse devant l’Arche[7] (English: The Dance Before the Ark) was one of the first works published by the Nouvelle Revue Française, in 1911. The poem, 2,000 verses long and written with the encouragement of André Spire, sought to reconcile biblical revelation with the French Enlightenment, and figures the poet as David dancing in front of the Ark of the Covenant.[1] Some of the principal poetic influences for La danse devant l’Arche were Paul Claudel and the Dreyfusard Catholic writer Charles Péguy,[6], along with Walt Whitman and Arthur Rimbaud[8]. Franck, like most French Jews, was deeply disturbed by the Dreyfus Affair, and anxiety around the reconcilability of Frenchness and Judaism is evident throughout the poem.
Franck died of tuberculosis in 1912, aged 23.
Jacques de Lacratelle, who knew him at the Lycée Janson-de-Sailly, based the hero of his celebrated 1922 novel Silbermann on Henri Franck.
Sources
