French President Emmanuel Macron pens birthday poem to 13-year-old British schoolgirl

Emmanuel Macron in February 2017, before he was elected President.
AFP/Getty Images
Francesca Gillett3 November 2017

A British teenager received an unexpected birthday present in the form of a poem from French President Emmanuel Macron.

The world leader penned the 20-line verse for schoolgirl Sophie, who celebrated her 13th birthday on Wednesday.

The kind and surprising gesture came after the teenager wrote her own poem to President Macron about the Eiffel Tower following a trip to Paris in April.

The French Embassy in London tweeted earlier this week: “A special birthday present for Sophie, 13, today: President Emmanuel Macron’s reply to her poem on the #EiffelTower. Bon anniversaire Sophie!”

'How you flatter me!' The French president penned a poem for schoolgirl Sophie.
French Embassy/Twitter

The embassy posted the president’s poem in French and English.

President Macron's verse describes an imagined dialogue between the Eiffel Tower and Sophie, with the iconic Paris monument encouraging Sophie to write a poem.

Writing in the voice of the Eiffel Tower, President Macron’s poem reads: “How you flatter me! So few poets these days ever sing the praises of my Parisian soul.”

President Macron has in the past expressed a fondness for literature and the arts.

On Tuesday during a visit to the eastern city of Strasbourg he sang with an amateur chorus at the opera house.

President Macron's poem to Sophie, 13

On a trip to Paris one day little Sophie

Met a giant lady lighting up the night sky

“What’s your name, you magical monster?”

“Many visitors call me the Eiffel Tower.”

“In all your attire, don’t you sometimes tire

Of being seen only as a humdrum tower

You, a dragon, a fairy watching over Paris

An Olympic torch held aloft in grey skies?”

“How you flatter me! So few poets these days

Ever sing the praises of my Parisian soul,

As did Cocteau, Aragon, Cendrars,

Trenet and Apollinaire… Since you’re so good

At seeing beneath the surfrace, you could –

If you like, when you’re back from France –

Take up your pen and write down

Why you like me – it would be nice and fun!”

“You can count on me! There’s so much to say

I’ll write twenty lines… but who will read them?”

“Well I know a man who’ll read your verse.”

“Really? Who?”

“The President of France.”

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