Maurice Polydore Marie Bernard Maeterlinck, also called "Comte (Count) Maeterlinck" from 1932, (29 August 1862 – 6 May 1949) was a Belgian playwright, poet, and essayist. He wrote in French. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1911. The main themes in his work are death and the meaning of life. His plays are an important part of the Symbolist movement.