Max Elskamp
Elskamp, Max
Born May 5, 1862, in Antwerp; died there Dec. 10, 1931. Belgian poet; wrote in French. Member of the literary association La Jeune Belgique.
In their tone and rhythms Elskamp’s poems are close to old Flemish songs and symbolist poetry. His language is musical, full of tropes, and skillfully stylized. Religious and mystical motifs occur in his early poetry, including Simeon Stylites (1891). The joy of labor and life and the love for simple people evident in Six Songs of a Poor Man (1895) gave way to themes of sorrow and despair in Under the Tents of Exile (1921), a work dealing with the occupation of Belgium in World War I. Elskamp proved himself a master of intimate lyric poetry in Songs of Disillusionment (1922). Elskamp influenced G. Apollinaire.
WORKS
Oeuvres complètes. [Paris, 1967.]REFERENCES
Andreev, L. G. Sto let bel’giiskoi literatury. [Moscow] 1967.Michel, Henri. Les Cadrans solaires de M. Elskamp. Liège [1966].