Poetic Principles and Practice
Occasional Papers on Baudelaire, Mallarmé and Valéry

The central theme here is the constant confrontation of theory and practice in the work of Baudelaire, Mallarmé and Valéry.

Lloyd Austin (Author)

9780521128612, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 4 February 2010

372 pages
21.6 x 14 x 2.1 cm, 0.47 kg

Baudelaire, Mallarmé and Valéry, three central poets of the modern French tradition, form a noble poetic lineage: Mallarmé proceeded from Baudelaire, Valéry from Mallarmé; yet each went his separate way and attained a high degree of originality. All three reflected deeply on the principles of poetic creation; all three sought to apply these principles in the practice of writing. The central theme of the eighteen papers collected here is the constant confrontation of theory and practice. The majority are close studies of individual poems, based on rigourous textual analysis, but placing each poem, implicitly or explicitly, in the total context of each poet's work as a whole. The impact of these poets on the development of modern poetry has been felt far beyond the frontiers of France; their writings are at the centre of more recent reflection on literature in genera, and poetry in particular, as the application of certain properties of language. Above all, their poems remain a constant source of delight; to share that delight with the reader is the main object of this book.

1. Baudelaire: poet or prophet?
2. Presence and poetry of Stéphane Mallarmé: international reputation and intellectual impact
3. Mallarmé on music and letters
4. The mystery of a name
5. Mallarmé and the 'Prose pour des Esseintes'
6. New light on Brennan and Mallarmé
7. Mallarmé and Gautier: new light on 'Toast funébre'
8. Mallarmé's reshaping of 'Le Pitre châtié'
10. 'Le Tombeau de Charles Baudelaire' by Stéphane Mallarmé: satire or homage?
11. Stéphane Mallarmé: 'Dans le Jardin'
12. Meaning in Mallarmé: remarks on 'A la nue accablante tu …'
13. The indubitable wing: Mallarmé's 'Quand l'ombre menaça de la fatale loi …'
14. How ambiguous is Mallarmé? Reflection on the captive swan
15. The genius of Paul Valéry
16. The negative plane tree
17. Modulation and movement in Valéry's verse
18. Valéry's views on literature
Appendix
Bibliographical note
Supplement
Index.

Subject Areas: Literary studies: poetry & poets [DSC]