Criminal Law Library Blog
Introduction
Honoring Émilie du Châtelet: A Mind Ahead of Her Time grew out of my earlier poem, In Celebration of Émilie du Châtelet: A Truly Renaissance Woman. While both poems honor the same remarkable figure, they differ in purpose and tone. The first poem was written with public occasions in mind, shaped for oral recitation and offering, in essence, an outline of her extraordinary life, a concise tribute to her genius and achievements.
This new poem, however, seeks something more reflective. I think of it as a continuation rather than a mere revision, an effort to move beyond a broad sketch and invite deeper contemplation. Here, I aim to provide a richer sense of Émilie du Châtelet’s intellectual daring, her profound humanity, and her concern for women’s rights. Where the earlier poem celebrated her in bold strokes, this one lingers on the subtler dimensions of her life and character, offering a deeper basis for readers to pause and reflect on the legacy of this truly exceptional woman.