Fruits of the Earth

work by Gide

Also known as: “Les Nourritures terrestres”

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June 29, 2026

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"Fruits of the Earth" is a prose poem by French writer André Gide, published in 1897. This work reflects Gide's personal liberation from the fear of sin and his embrace of following one's impulses. It became Gide's most popular and influential work after World War I, resonating with a generation that sought individual expression.1

The poem is part of Gide's Symbolist period, influenced by his experiences in North Africa, which offered a contrast to the restrictive conventions of his Protestant upbringing. "Fruits of the Earth" encouraged a generation to question traditional values and explore their inner selves. Gide, a Nobel Prize winner in Literature, is known for his exploration of morality, individualism, and human relationships in his confessional and satirical works.12

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André Gide
Symbolist period
…poem Les Nourritures terrestres (1897; Fruits of the Earth) reflects Gide’s personal liberation from the fear of sin and his acceptance of the need to follow his own impulses. But after he returned to France, Gide’s relief at having shed the shackles of convention evaporated in what he called the…
Read More
…poem Les Nourritures terrestres (1897; Fruits of the Earth) reflects Gide’s personal liberation from the fear of sin and his acceptance of the need to follow his own impulses. But after he returned to France, Gide’s relief at having shed the shackles of convention evaporated in what he called the…
Read More

French literature
Gide
Gide’s Les Nourritures terrestres (1897; Fruits of the Earth) and L’Immoraliste (1902; The Immoralist) encouraged a generation of French youth to question the values of family and tradition and to be guided by that part of themselves, turned toward the future, that was ignored or repressed by a society with…
Read More
Gide’s Les Nourritures terrestres (1897; Fruits of the Earth) and L’Immoraliste (1902; The Immoralist) encouraged a generation of French youth to question the values of family and tradition and to be guided by that part of themselves, turned toward the future, that was ignored or repressed by a society with…
Read More