Résumé

This article examines the literary evolution of Louisiana from 1810 to the late 19th century, highlighting the complex cultural ties between Louisiana and France. It focuses on the generation of poets born around 1810 (Dominique and Adrien Rouquette, Armand Lanusse, Alexandre Latil, and others) whose works were deeply influenced by French Romanticism yet constrained by the peripheral, mercantile, and largely francophone context of Louisiana. Through close readings of selected works, including Les Meschacébéennes, Les Savanes, Les Éphémères, and later texts by Mercier and Rillieux, the study reveals a persistent tension : authors sought recognition in France while remaining rooted in local landscapes, histories and languages. The analysis shows that Louisiana literature often remained insular and imitative, struggling to achieve universality (or stylistic innovation), despite sporadic originality. This peripheral literature provides a nuanced view of identity, exile – and the challenges of literary creation outside metropolitan centers.