Le Poème sur le désastre de Lisbonne de Voltaire : de l’effondrement à l’édification

Voltaire’s Poem on the Lisbon Disaster describes the consequences of a natural disaster that occurred in 1755. However, this article will show that this text is rather holding a dual reading. The author of Candide uses verse as a medium to spread a satirical view on philosophical optimism and hypocritical devotion. Voltaire is thus counterbalancing the collapsing with a dual construction: this poem is emerging from the ruins of civilization, in the same way as the deist thought unveils the cruelty of a not so loving form of deity.