ROSTAND EDMOND: (1868-1918) French Poet. Best known for his play Cyrano de Bergerac. Unusual and len...

ROSTAND EDMOND: (1868-1918) French Poet. Best known for his play Cyrano de Bergerac. Unusual and len...
ROSTAND EDMOND: (1868-1918) French Poet. Best known for his play Cyrano de Bergerac. Unusual and lengthy autograph poem, two separate pages, 4to, n.p., n.d., with several small sketches drawn by Rostand to the left border of the first page, in French. The draft poem is entitled `A la Même, en la coiffant de son abat-jour´, and contains multiple words and sentences crossed, corrections and amendments, verses re-written alongside, etc.. Rostand states in part `Car, sans lui, tu n´es rien, puisque sans lui, tu laisses divaguer ta clarté… Tous les rêves flottant aux ombres de la chamber Sont convoqués par moi… The present poem was published in 1890 with the Rostand´s collection Les Musardises, related to his student years 1884-85. The two pages have been lightly affixed, one to another, and the left border of the first to a thick cardboard. One large tear to the upper right edge of the second page, only affecting two words, and overall small creasing and staining. Together with an original gouache by André Rouveyre (1879-1962) French journalist and press cartoonist, one page, 4to. The attractive colourful gouache shows Rostand with an eaglet in hand, standing before Sarah Bernhardt lying on a sofa. The present image was the front cover of the journal Le Sourire, entitled M. Rostand and his eaglet. G, 2 £200-300 Sarah Bernhardt (1844-1923) French Actress. She created the title role of L´Aiglon, in the play´s premiere on 15th March 1900 at the Theatre Sarah Bernhardt. L´Aiglon (1900) (''The Eaglet'' or ''Young Eagle'') is a play in six acts by Rostand based on the life of Napoleon II, son of Emperor Napoelon I and his second wife Empress Marie Louise. The title of the play comes from a nickname for Napoleon II.