Poème sur le désastre de Lisbonne
Encyclopedia
The Poème sur le désastre de Lisbonne (Poem on the Lisbon Disaster) was a poem in French
composed by Voltaire
, regarding the 1755 Lisbon earthquake
. It is widely regarded as an introduction to Voltaire's later acclaimed work Candide
. The 180-line poem was composed in December, 1755; it was published in 1756 (see 1756 in poetry
).
, the capital of Portugal
. The city was reduced to ruins, and between 10,000 to 60,000 people were killed. Being one of the most destructive earthquakes in history, the event had a major effect on the cultural consciousness of much of Europe. Voltaire was one of many philosophers, theologians and intellectuals to be deeply affected by the disaster. Catholics attempted to explain the disaster as God's wrath, invited by the sinfulness of the people of Portugal and the presence of some Protestants and Jesuits; Protestants blamed the Portuguese for being Catholic, thus being punished by God. Voltaire's philosophical pessimism was affirmed by the great earthquake which provided incontrovertible proof that optimistic attitudes and the notion of "for the greater good" were false. Voltaire was convinced that there existed no benign and concerned deity that would guide the virtuous and punish the sinful. Voltaire asserted that accident played a major part in life, that people were basically weak, helpless, ignorant of their destiny. They might well hope for a happier state, but that was the logical limit of their optimism.
created by the earthquake, and questions if a just and compassionate God would seek to punish sins through such terrible means. Voltaire argues that the all-powerful God could have prevented the innocent suffering with the sinners, reduced the scale of destruction or made his purpose for greater good clearer for mankind.
And can you then impute a sinful deed
To babes who on their mothers' bosoms bleed?
Was then more vice in fallen Lisbon
found,
Than Paris
, where voluptuous joys abound?
Was less debauchery to London
known,
Where opulence luxurious holds the throne?
He rejected the charge that selfishness and pride had made him rebel against suffering:
When the earth gapes my body to entomb,
I justly may complain of such a doom.
In the poem, Voltaire rejected belief in "Providence
" as impossible to defend — he believed that all living things seemed doomed to live in a cruel world. Voltaire concludes that human beings are weak, ignorant and condemned to suffer grief throughout life. There is no divine system or message as guidance, and God does not concern or communicate himself with human beings.
We rise in thought to the heavenly throne,
But our own nature still remains unknown.
Recall the pessimistic reply of the dervish to Pangloss, who expressed the desire to probe the meaning of life and man's destiny.
, and endorsed the views of the skeptic Pierre Bayle
. Voltaire was, in turn, criticized by the philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau
; Rousseau had been mailed a copy of the poem by Voltaire, who received a letter carrying Rousseau's criticism on August 18, 1756. Rousseau criticized Voltaire for seeking to apply science to spiritual questions, and he argued that evil is necessary to the existence of the universe and that particular evils form the general good. Rousseau implied that Voltaire must either renounce the concept of Providence or conclude that it is, in the last analysis, beneficial. Rousseau was convinced that Voltaire had written Candide as a rebuttal to the argument he had made.
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
composed by Voltaire
Voltaire
François-Marie Arouet , better known by the pen name Voltaire , was a French Enlightenment writer, historian and philosopher famous for his wit and for his advocacy of civil liberties, including freedom of religion, free trade and separation of church and state...
, regarding the 1755 Lisbon earthquake
1755 Lisbon earthquake
The 1755 Lisbon earthquake, also known as the Great Lisbon Earthquake, was a megathrust earthquake that took place on Saturday 1 November 1755, at around 9:40 in the morning. The earthquake was followed by fires and a tsunami, which almost totally destroyed Lisbon in the Kingdom of Portugal, and...
. It is widely regarded as an introduction to Voltaire's later acclaimed work Candide
Candide
Candide, ou l'Optimisme is a French satire first published in 1759 by Voltaire, a philosopher of the Age of Enlightenment. The novella has been widely translated, with English versions titled Candide: or, All for the Best ; Candide: or, The Optimist ; and Candide: or, Optimism...
. The 180-line poem was composed in December, 1755; it was published in 1756 (see 1756 in poetry
1756 in poetry
Nationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature .-Events:* Starting this year, English poet Christopher Smart is confined in St. Luke's Hospital, an asylum, after developing a religious mania. Among other things, he had been stopping strangers in Hyde Park...
).
Background
The earthquake on November 1, 1755 had completely devastated LisbonLisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, the capital of Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. The city was reduced to ruins, and between 10,000 to 60,000 people were killed. Being one of the most destructive earthquakes in history, the event had a major effect on the cultural consciousness of much of Europe. Voltaire was one of many philosophers, theologians and intellectuals to be deeply affected by the disaster. Catholics attempted to explain the disaster as God's wrath, invited by the sinfulness of the people of Portugal and the presence of some Protestants and Jesuits; Protestants blamed the Portuguese for being Catholic, thus being punished by God. Voltaire's philosophical pessimism was affirmed by the great earthquake which provided incontrovertible proof that optimistic attitudes and the notion of "for the greater good" were false. Voltaire was convinced that there existed no benign and concerned deity that would guide the virtuous and punish the sinful. Voltaire asserted that accident played a major part in life, that people were basically weak, helpless, ignorant of their destiny. They might well hope for a happier state, but that was the logical limit of their optimism.
Theme and interpretation
Voltaire is deeply moved by the humanitarian crisisHumanitarian crisis
A humanitarian crisis is an event or series of events which represents a critical threat to the health, safety, security or wellbeing of a community or other large group of people, usually over a wide area...
created by the earthquake, and questions if a just and compassionate God would seek to punish sins through such terrible means. Voltaire argues that the all-powerful God could have prevented the innocent suffering with the sinners, reduced the scale of destruction or made his purpose for greater good clearer for mankind.
And can you then impute a sinful deed
To babes who on their mothers' bosoms bleed?
Was then more vice in fallen Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
found,
Than Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, where voluptuous joys abound?
Was less debauchery to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
known,
Where opulence luxurious holds the throne?
He rejected the charge that selfishness and pride had made him rebel against suffering:
When the earth gapes my body to entomb,
I justly may complain of such a doom.
In the poem, Voltaire rejected belief in "Providence
Divine Providence
In Christian theology, divine providence, or simply providence, is God's activity in the world. " Providence" is also used as a title of God exercising His providence, and then the word are usually capitalized...
" as impossible to defend — he believed that all living things seemed doomed to live in a cruel world. Voltaire concludes that human beings are weak, ignorant and condemned to suffer grief throughout life. There is no divine system or message as guidance, and God does not concern or communicate himself with human beings.
We rise in thought to the heavenly throne,
But our own nature still remains unknown.
Recall the pessimistic reply of the dervish to Pangloss, who expressed the desire to probe the meaning of life and man's destiny.
Criticism
Through his work, Voltaire criticized religious figures and philosophers such as Alexander PopeAlexander Pope
Alexander Pope was an 18th-century English poet, best known for his satirical verse and for his translation of Homer. He is the third-most frequently quoted writer in The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, after Shakespeare and Tennyson...
, and endorsed the views of the skeptic Pierre Bayle
Pierre Bayle
Pierre Bayle was a French philosopher and writer best known for his seminal work the Historical and Critical Dictionary, published beginning in 1695....
. Voltaire was, in turn, criticized by the philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer of 18th-century Romanticism. His political philosophy influenced the French Revolution as well as the overall development of modern political, sociological and educational thought.His novel Émile: or, On Education is a treatise...
; Rousseau had been mailed a copy of the poem by Voltaire, who received a letter carrying Rousseau's criticism on August 18, 1756. Rousseau criticized Voltaire for seeking to apply science to spiritual questions, and he argued that evil is necessary to the existence of the universe and that particular evils form the general good. Rousseau implied that Voltaire must either renounce the concept of Providence or conclude that it is, in the last analysis, beneficial. Rousseau was convinced that Voltaire had written Candide as a rebuttal to the argument he had made.