René Armand François PRUDHOMME, dit SULLY PRUDHOMME,

Poet, first winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1901 (Paris 1839 - Châtenay-Malabry (92) 1907). Letter A.S. "SULLY-PRUDHOMME", Châtenay 10 January 1904, to Madame la Générale (LOIZILLON) on the art of poetry. 4pp in-8° - (some consolidations) "Forgive me for answering so late... I have been sick for two years and overwhelmed by countless obligations... I closed my apartment in Paris to come to Châtenay to take care of myself more easily in retirement and avoid the fatigue of Parisian life. I was only able to read a little of your young nephew's friendly brochure, I had been overwhelmed by professional occupation until then. I associate myself with the encouragement given by Charles Fuste to this very very talented beginner in his preface; but it would have been preferable if Mr Pierre Daveaux had waited until a talent had fully matured before publishing verses. I am very grateful to him for resisting the current of reckless reforms that still involve too many young poets today. The old forms are perfectly sufficient for him to express all emotions, even the most personal or even the most delicate ones, I regret all the more in these poems certain errors, certain negligences that a longer practice of our Art would have allowed him to avoid..." he speaks of the construction of rhymes, he quotes Alfred de Musset. He discouraged him from making it his career with the hope of finding resources to live on. "The house I live in is located at number 22 Chemin des Princes, next to Madame SEDILLE's property, where I have met General LOIZILLON more than once...".