Le Lac (poem)

Le Lac (English: The Lake) is a poem by French poet Alphonse de Lamartine. The poem was published in 1820.

The poem consists of sixteen quatrains. It was met with great acclaim and propelled its author to the forefront of famous romantic poets.

The poem is often compared to the Tristesse d'Olympio of Victor Hugo and the Souvenir of Alfred de Musset. It was set to music by Niedermeyer and more recently by British composer David Matthews, which was premiered by the Orchestra of the Swan and soprano April Fredrick under the baton of Kenneth Woods in 2019.

Background
Lamartine admired Julie Charles, the wife of the famous physicist Jacques Charles. The two planned to meet at Lac du Bourget in August 1817, but she died of tuberculosis. Lamartine returned to the lake alone.