Why Did French Write Paul Valery

A feeling of doubt regarding the future for the West consumed the lives of some intellectuals. French write Paul Valery expresses his concerns and mood of disillusionment felt after the war. This feeling is illustrated in two different forms, one written by Valery in 1919 and as a speech from 1922, which were both later published in Variety, a collection of some of Valery works. We first look at his writing from 1919 to uncover the underline message behind it. This excerpt stresses his concern for the future of the European nations. He reflects back into the past to ancient civilizations to make his point clear. He uses the ancient civilizations of Elam, Nineveh, and Babylon to convey his message that although they were strong civilizations these ancient civilizations did collapse, comparing his thoughts on post war European nations …show more content…
However, he does not use ancient civilization to make his point understood, but by rather discussing citizens’ mindset after World War I. For example, Valery states, “ We think of what has disappeared, we are almost destroyed by what has been destroyed: we do not know what will be born, and we fear for the future, not without reason.” The war has left citizen in a state of confusion and uncertainty about what will happen next. Valery sets the tone of fear in his speech, insinuating that European citizens are wary about the future. Valery illustrates his emotions further by stating, “ We hope vaguely, we dread precisely; our fears are infinitely more precise than out hopes;…” This quote illustrates that fear dominates hope in European citizens, which is the opposite of majority of Europeans felt when entering the war four years ago. Valery is capturing the changing views of citizens about the war, demonstrating their uncertainty and their knowledge about the pursue of the