Why did Sainte-Beuve focus on the author's life?
I focused on the author's life because I believed that genius, like any other human faculty, is nurtured by experience. A writer's temperament, their personal struggles, their affections, and even their everyday surroundings leave an indelible mark on their prose and poetry. By examining these elements, we gain a richer, more nuanced appreciation of their artistic choices, their recurring themes, and the very spirit that animates their creations. It is through this lens of lived reality that the full depth of their work can be revealed.
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