Dominique Lemor (born Dominique Laure) was the third wife of the poet Paul Éluard. Their marriage in 1951 helped the poet regain his balance after the sudden death of his previous wife, Nusch, in 1946.
Dominique Lemor
Dominique Lemor
4 min read
Frequently asked questions
Key Facts
- Married Paul Éluard in 1951, becoming his third wife
- Her marriage followed the death of Nusch Éluard, which occurred in 1946
- Helped Paul Éluard regain personal and creative balance after his bereavement
- Remained by his side until the poet's death on 18 November 1952
Works & Achievements
Dominique is the muse and dedicatee of this collection by Éluard, one of the most beautiful love songs in 20th-century French poetry.
She accompanied the poet through the last period of his life and creative work, restoring his urge to write after his bereavement.
As Éluard's widow, she helped preserve the memory and spread the work of one of the great poets of the century.
Anecdotes
Dominique Lemor met the poet Paul Éluard in 1949, while he was still deeply affected by the sudden death of his wife Nusch in 1946. Their love gave the poet back his desire to live and to write.
It is to Dominique that Éluard dedicated his collection *The Phoenix* (1951): the title itself evokes the bird reborn from its ashes, a symbol of love and life beginning anew after mourning.
The couple married in 1951, but their happiness was brief: Paul Éluard died of a heart attack in November 1952, barely a year after the wedding.
Dominique shared the final years of a poet famous throughout Europe, a friend of Picasso and a major figure of Surrealism, whose love poems such as *Liberty* had already become classics.
As Éluard's widow, Dominique then worked to keep the poet's memory alive and to spread his work, like many close companions of departed writers at that time.
Primary Sources
I told you it for the clouds / I told you it for the tree of the sea / For every wave for the birds in the leaves.
Dominique present today / The face of my love.
It was indeed necessary that a face / Answer all the names of the world.
Key Places
The French capital and the heart of literary and Surrealist life, where Dominique shared her life with Paul Éluard.
A town near Paris where Paul Éluard died in November 1952, at the end of their brief life together.
The famous Parisian cemetery where Paul Éluard was buried following a very well-attended funeral.
Typical Objects
Book of poetry published in 1951 by Paul Éluard and dedicated to Dominique. It celebrates the rebirth of love after grief.
A common writing instrument in the mid-20th century, used for correspondence and poetic manuscripts.
In the mid-20th century, separated couples exchanged long letters. Éluard was a great writer of love letters.
A typical post-war women's outfit, marked by the 'New Look': a fitted waist and a full skirt.
A central object in 1950s households, broadcasting music, news, and cultural programmes.
School Curriculum
Vocabulary & Tags
Key Vocabulary
Daily Life
Morning
In post-war Paris, the morning begins with a coffee and the reading of the newspapers. Life in an artists' household blends correspondence, reading and visits from friends.
Afternoon
Afternoons are paced by strolls through the city, encounters with literary and artistic circles, and the poet's writing work at her side.
Evening
Evenings often bring together writers, painters and friends such as Picasso, around conversations about art, poetry and politics.
Food
The diet is still marked by post-war rationing in the early 1950s, before a gradual return to plenty: bread, vegetables, wine and simple dishes of French cuisine.
Clothing
Women's clothing follows the fashion of the “New Look” launched in 1947: nipped-in waists, full skirts, gloves and hats for outings.
Housing
The couple lives in the Paris region, in an intellectuals' home where books, manuscripts and works of art given by painter friends accumulate.
Historical Timeline
Period Vocabulary
Liens externes & ressources
Références
Œuvres
Inspiratrice du recueil 'Le Phénix'
1951
Compagne des dernières années d'Éluard
1949-1952
Gardienne de la mémoire du poète
après 1952
