Any attempt to define the Symbolist movement and its influence inevitably loses itself in a welter of detail. One can say that these late nineteenth-century French poets were revolting against fixed forms and inert molds; that they were attempting to express an inner ideal reality rather than the objective world; that they deliberately blurred sense impressions and sought correspondences where none had been observed before; that they have had a profound influence on contemporary avant-garde writing, noticeably in Hart Crane ...
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Any attempt to define the Symbolist movement and its influence inevitably loses itself in a welter of detail. One can say that these late nineteenth-century French poets were revolting against fixed forms and inert molds; that they were attempting to express an inner ideal reality rather than the objective world; that they deliberately blurred sense impressions and sought correspondences where none had been observed before; that they have had a profound influence on contemporary avant-garde writing, noticeably in Hart Crane, Ezra Pound, and T.S. Eliot. But in the end one has not said a great deal. Whether viewed as influence or in and for themselves, the Symbolist are a tantalizing group. Paralleling similar movements in art and music, their intensely personal poetry leans more heavily on oblique suggestions and evocation than on overt statement. It sets its perceptions, intuitive and nonrational, squarely against intellectual and scientific thinking--and this with a music that is flexible, intrepid, and subtle, sometimes even dissonant and jazzy. But the poetry itself is the movements best definition. Here in bilingual form, together with an introduction and illuminating notes, are some forty carefully selected poems of that movement. They range from the remote beginnings in Nerval and Bauldelaire, through the humor and irony of Corbiere and Laforgue, to the technical brilliance of Valery, who died as recently as 1945. For those who wish an over-all view of the movement, this is a generous sampling. For those who wish to delve more deeply, there are available excellent and more extensive translations by C.F. MacIntyre of Bauldelaire, Verlaine, Corbiere, Mallarme, and Rilke and by Patricia Terry of Laforgue.
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Seller's Description:
Good. No dust jacket as issued. Ink stain top right corner. A couple of small notes in the text. Text in English, French. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 160 p. Audience: General/trade.
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Seller's Description:
Good-Bumped and creased book with tears to the extremities, but not affecting the text block, may have remainder mark or previous owner's name-GOOD PAPERBACK Standard-sized.
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Seller's Description:
Very good. Softcover poetry anthology; bilingual French/English presentation. No marks or writing in book. Short, small split to edge of spine near bottom edge, has been repaired. Otherwise like new.
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Seller's Description:
Good. Good condition. French and English edition. A copy that has been read but remains intact. May contain markings such as bookplates, stamps, limited notes and highlighting, or a few light stains. Bundled media such as CDs, DVDs, floppy disks or access codes may not be included.
