Paul Claudel

About

French poet, playwright, and diplomat known for such long, free-verse plays as Le Partage de Midi. He became a member of the prestigious Academie Francaise in 1946.

Before Fame

He converted to Catholicism at the age of eighteen and considered entering a monastery; instead, he joined the French Diplomatic Corps.

Trivia

He sparked a controversy by committing his artist sister, Camille Claudel, to a mental institution for the final thirty years of her life. Sadly, she may not have been psychologically disturbed enough to justify such measures.

Family Life

He married Reine Sainte-Marie Perrin.

Associated With

He was influenced by the work of Symbolist poet Arthur Rimbaud.