Mes soixante ans and their political and literary references: the Constance de Salm memoirs in verse

Abstract

This article studies Constance de Salm’s memoirs, published in 1833 and entitled Mes soixante ans. In her memoirs –compo­sed in verse– the author recalls her feminist discourse in support of women’s rights, as she did all her life. We will unveil the political and literary references of the poetic discourse, which recalls the more significant events in France in a period of great change: from the end of the 18^th century and through the early part of the 19^th century. We will pay particular attention to the Empire period, with which Constance de Salm’s works have been consistently associated.