Coppée is known as a poet and writer of short stories. His work usually
deals with the pathetic side of humble life. He has been accused of
sentimentality and superficiality; he is, however one of the most
popular and accomplished of the modern French poets, a dramatist of some
merit and the author of a number of _Contes_ relating to the life of the
_peuple_, particularly in and about Paris.
Important works: _Poésies_ (several collections, 1864-1890), _Théâtre_
(best plays: _Le Passant_, 1869; _Le Luthier de Crémone_, 1876; _Les
Jacobites_, 1885; _Pour la Couronne_, 1895), and several volumes of
_Contes_ (the two stories given in this collection are from his _Longues
et Brèves_, published in 1893).
Edition: Lemerre.