To the People

The author of Les Misérables defended the plight of the people. They inspired Hugo with deep and constant pity, because of their suffering. But when he saw these same people reach a certain level of awareness, his feelings alternated between fear and hope. This ambivalence can be seen in the poem “To the People.” In it, Hugo compared two enormous powers: the people, with whom he was familiar, and the ocean, with whom he spoke daily in the solitude of exile.

Read by Barbara Viner

Victor Hugo, a literary giant and politician, was born on February 26, 1802 in Besançon, France. A prolific writer in many genres, Hugo is best known for his poetry collections and novels such as Les Misérables and The Hunchback of Notre-Dame. He was an active member of the Académie Française as well as multiple legislative assemblies and, in both his writing and political engagements, he spoke out against the death penalty and poverty and in favor of freedom of the press, education, and universal suffrage. Hugo passed away on May 22, 1885 and is interred in the Panthéon in Paris. He continues to be a French national hero as his legacy lives on through his literature and his political views of liberty, equality, and fraternity.

Victor Hugo lived through many governmental and societal changes in France that underscore both the tyranny of an autocratic regime as well as the violence of mob rule. He fought against France’s authoritarian leaders and the reckless rioting of the French masses. An advocate for liberal ideals, Hugo believed that order and peace were the methods with which the people should fight for freedom and justice. He fluctuates between feeling inspired by the people’s power and fearful of their brutality. These ambivalent feelings towards the people are expressed in “Au Peuple” through a comparison between the people and the ocean.  

First published in 1853, “Au Peuple” is a part of Les Châtiments, Hugo’s collection of poems attacking Napoleon III. Les Châtiments was banned in France because of its criticisms of the government, but, at the time, Hugo had fled his homeland because Napoleon III had strayed from democratic leadership. In exile, Hugo wrote many of his most prominent works, including Les Châtiments, and, to emphasize his stance against authoritarianism and the restrictions of the press and the people in France, he even chose to stay in exile after being offered amnesty in 1859. It was not until 1870, when the Republic was restored in France, that Hugo moved back to Paris and Les Châtiments was unbanned. “Au Peuple” is an important addition to the collection because it adds complexity to the fight for the people. Though Les Châtiments strongly supports the working class and challenges the injustices of the government, “Au Peuple” balances Hugo’s belief in popular freedom with the manner in which he believes the people should attain it. 

Note:  Les Châtiments is commonly translated as “The Punishments” although other sources translate this title as “The Chastisements”, which seems to more accurately reflect the intent of the author to criticize and attack Napoleon III.