Maeterlinck, Maurice

Maeterlinck, Maurice, 1862-1949, Belgian author who wrote in French. After practicing law unsuccessfully for several years, he went to Paris in 1897. He had already been touched by the influence of the symbolists and the mystical thought of Novalis and Emerson; his eventual 60-odd volumes can be read as a symbolist manifesto. Their suggestion of universal mystery, their insistence on ennui and impending doom affected the mood of a whole generation before World War I. Maeterlinck was awarded the 1911 Nobel Prize in Literature, but after 1920 his creative powers declined. His works include the short story "Le Massacre des innocents" (1886); the plays Les Aveugles (1891, tr. The Blind), Pelléas et Mélisande (1892), which inspired Debussy's opera (1902), Monna Vanna (1902), and L'Oiseau bleu (1909, tr. The Blue Bird), an allegorical fantasy for children that denies the reality of death; the essays La Vie des abeilles (1901, tr. The Life of the Bee) and L'Intelligence des fleurs (1907, tr. Life and Flowers); and poems.

later Comte Maeterlinck

(born Aug. 29, 1862, Ghent, Belg.—died May 6, 1949, Nice, France) Belgian playwright and poet. He studied law in Ghent but soon turned to writing poems and plays. His Pelléas et Mélisande (1892), considered the masterpiece of Symbolist drama (see Symbolist movement), was the basis of Claude Debussy's opera (1902). In his Symbolist plays, Maeterlinck used poetic speech, gesture, lighting, setting, and ritual to create images that reflect his protagonists' moods and dilemmas. His other writings include a collection of Symbolist poems (Hothouses, 1899) and plays such as Monna Vanna (1902), The Blue Bird (1908), and The Burgomaster of Stilmonde (1918). He was also noted for his popular treatments of scientific subjects, including The Life of the Bee (1901) and The Intelligence of Flowers (1907). Maeterlinck was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1911.

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Maurice is a name used as a given name or surname. It is a French and has become an English name, derived from the Roman Mauricius. It is of Latin origin, and its meaning is "dark-skinned, Moorish".

Maurice might refer to:

Given name

• Maurice (emperor), aka Flavius Mauricius Tiberius Augustus (539-602), a Byzantine emperor
• Saint Maurice, aka St. Moritz (d. 287), Swiss leader and martyr of the third century Roman Theban Legion.
• Maurice (bishop), a bishop of London
• Maurice Chevalier, a French actor
• Maurice Clarett (b. 1983), American athlete and former Ohio State football player
• Maurice, Elector of Saxony (1521-1553), German Saxon nobleman
• Maurice Gibb (1949–2003), British singer, songwriter and member of the BeeGees brothers
• Maurice Greene (athlete) (b. 1974), American sprinter; former world record holder for the 100m
• Maurice Jarre (b. 1924), French composer of film scores
• Maurice Jones-Drew (American football), American athlete and player for the NFL Jacksonville Jaguars
• Maurice Josey (1870-1938), British artist and mosaicist
• Maurice Joshua, American house music producer and remixer
• Maurice Kendall (1907-83), British statistician
• Maurice Krafft (1946-1991), French scientist and volcanologist; spouse of Katia Krafft
• Maurice Leyland (1900-1967), Yorkshire and England cricketer
• Maurice Maeterlinck, a Belgian writer and Nobel Prize winner
• Maurice Merleau-Ponty (1908-1961), French philosopher and phenomenologist
• Maurice Moucheraud (b. 1933), French Olympic medalist and road cyclist
• Maurice Moynihan (b. 1985), Australian bass player and vocalist for Pink Bullet
• Maurice Papon, (1910-2007), French politician
• Maurice Peeters (1882-1957), Dutch Olympic medalist and track cyclist athlete
• Maurice Ravel (1875-1937), French Impressionist classical composer
• Maurice Richard (1921-2000), Canadian Hall of Fame hockey player
• Maurice Richards aka Rich Boy (b. 1983), American rapper and stage performer
• Maurice Schutz (1866-1955), French film actor
• Maurice Sendak (b. 1928), American author and illustration of children's literature
• Maurice Smith (decathlon) (b.1980), Jamaican decathlete
• Maurice Thiriet (1906-1972), French composer of classical and film music
• Maurice Utrillo (1883-1955), French painter who specialized in cityscapes
• Maurice Voron, French rugby league footballer
• Maurice White (b. 1941), American musician and front man for the group, Earth, Wind & Fire
• Maurice Williams (American football) (b. 1979), American athlete and player for the NFL Jacksonville Jaguars
• Maurice Williams (basketball) (b. 1982), American athlete and player for the NBA Milwaukee Bucks
• Maurice Williams (musician) (b. 1938), American doo-wop and soul artist; lead singer of the Zodiacs

Surname

• Ann Maurice (b. 1951), Californian home stager, known as "The House Doctor"
• Emil Maurice (1897-1972), German watchmaker and senior Nazi Party official
• Frederick Maurice (1805-1872), British author, theologian, and socialist
• Frederick Barton Maurice (1871-1951), soldier and academic
• John Maurice, Prince of Nassau-Siegen (1604–1679), Dutch prince, count, and governor of Dutch Brazilian possessions
• John Frederick Maurice (1841-1912), soldier and military writer
• Paul Maurice (b. 1967), Canadian professional NHL hockey coach

Literature and film

• Maurice (novel), a 1913 novel by British author E. M. Forster (published 1971)
• Maurice (film), 1987 British feature film based on the novel by E.M. Forster
• Maurice (Shelley), a children's story by Mary Shelley

Place names

• Maurice, Iowa, a small city in the United States
• Maurice, Louisiana, a village in the United States
• Maurice River, a tributary of the Delaware River in the US state of New Jersey

Other uses

• Maurice Lacroix, a Swiss manufacturer of mechanical timepieces, clocks, and watches

See also

• Mauritius
• Morris