Dear French Story Listeners,
Still thinking about love this week?
What if I told you there’s a French love story so powerful, so heart-wrenching, that it’s been performed for nearly 400 years – and it’s the opposite of a happy Valentine’s card?
Your New French Love Story: Le Cid đźŽ
We’re entering the world of Pierre Corneille (1606-1684), one of France’s greatest playwrights.
Think of him as France’s Shakespeare – a master who transformed theatre into poetry that pierces the soul.
Watch here: https://youtu.be/fEmmaAb4Vf4
Corneille drew inspiration from a Spanish legend about Rodrigo DĂaz de Vivar, a noble warrior madly in love with Chimène.
But then the unthinkable happens: to defend his aging father’s honour, Rodrigo must duel Chimène’s father.
Imagine loving someone with all your heart, then having honour demand you destroy that very love.
This is passion and tragedy intertwined.
Your Gentle Challenge This Week
Try declaiming these famous verses from the play (with all the drama you can muster!):
“Ă” rage ! Ă” dĂ©sespoir ! Ă” vieillesse ennemie !
N’ai-je donc tant vĂ©cu que pour cette infamie ?”
In English: “O rage! O despair! O hostile old age! Have I lived so long only for this disgrace?”
Le Cid, après son duel avec le comte de Gormas, et son père, Alexandre-Marie Colin, 1869
These are the anguished words of Don Diègue, Rodrigo’s elderly father, when he realizes he’s too old to defend his own honour and must ask his son to bear this terrible burden.
Why verses and poetry matter in language learning
Beautiful verses aren’t just words – they’re living ideas that feed the soul.
When you declaim French poetry, you’re not studying vocabulary; you’re befriending the language through its most noble expressions.
Poetry gives you the rhythm, the music, the very heartbeat of French.
It elevates your learning from mere communication to communion with centuries of French culture.
Your brain doesn’t just acquire words – it acquires beauty, dignity, and meaning.
So be bold! Speak these verses with passion. Let French live in your voice. đź’«
Keep listening,
Alice đź’•
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