Identity:

René Francois Armand Sully-Prudhomme was a poet.

Life:

Prudhomme studied to be an engineer, but turned first to philosophy and later to poetry. He aimed to to create scientific poetry for modern times. His first volume of poems, Stances et Poèmes was a success. His Oeuvres Complètes were published in 1882-1888.

Bibliography:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sully-Prudhomme (accessed 2005); nobelprize.org/literature/ laureates/1901/prudhomme-bio.html (accessed 2005).