Why did Alfred de Vigny withdraw from Paris society in middle age?

In middle age, Alfred de Vigny gradually withdrew from the excitement of Paris society to the relative calm of his country manor, a retreat famously described by the critic Charles-Augustin Sainte-Beuve as living in an "ivory tower."1

This withdrawal was driven by a profound sense of disillusionment and a desire to protect the dignity of his art. Following the July Revolution, Vigny developed a deep political pessimism and concluded that poets should separate their creative lives from the political arena to escape the "perpetual ostracism" and cruelties inflicted by various regimes.1

His personal life also contributed to this shift. He experienced a traumatic and embittering liaison with the actress Marie Dorval, and he struggled with the loss of his childhood religious faith. By retreating from public life, Vigny sought to focus on his philosophical work and the composition of his poetry, eventually producing his later, more confident affirmations of human spiritual power in Les Destinées.1