Born on this day March 30, 1844, Paul Verlaine, an eminent French poet of the latter half of the nineteenth century, is renowned for his immense contribution to the Symbolist movement in poetry. Verlaine’s oeuvre, including works like Invectives, Chair, Confessions, Femmes, is still celebrated for its sheer lyrical beauty and emotive power that transcends the boundaries of time and space, embodying the essence of symbolist poetry in the modern age.

Verlaine’s symbolist poetry, characterized by its evocative language and vivid imagery, sought to suggest rather than explicitly state, thus bringing forth the ineffable aspects of human emotion and experience. His work Invectives is a poignant example of this approach where he uses metaphorical language to express the profound human emotions. Similarly, in Chair and Femmes, Verlaine ingeniously employs symbolism to capture the nuanced complexities of desire and femininity, respectively.

Confessions, another seminal work by Verlaine, stands out for its candid exploration of selfhood, providing a refreshing contrast to the often oblique nature of symbolist verse. The poem employs a confessional tone to delve into the depths of personal experience and emotion, further augmenting the emotional resonance of his work.

“Ars Poetica”, arguably one of Verlaine’s most impactful poems, serves as a manifesto for the symbolist movement. The work elucidates Verlaine’s poetic philosophy – the prioritization of musicality over strict rationality in verse, thus encapsulating the spirit of symbolist poetry.

Paul Verlaine’s poetry continues to resonate with contemporary readers for its emotive depth and lyrical beauty. His works revive and uphold the essence of symbolist poetry in the modern age, demonstrating the enduring relevance of his poetic vision.

In Muted Tone

Gently, let us steep our love
In the silence deep, as thus,
Branches arching high above
Twine their shadows over us.

Let us blend our souls as one,
Hearts’ and senses’ ecstasies,
Evergreen, in unison
With the pines’ vague lethargies.

Dim your eyes and, heart at rest,
Freed from all futile endeavor,
Arms crossed on your slumbering breast,
Banish vain desire forever.

Let us yield then, you and I,
To the waftings, calm and sweet,
As their breeze-blown lullaby
Sways the gold grass at your feet.

And, when night begins to fall
From the black oaks, darkening,
In the nightingale’s soft call
Our despair will, solemn, sing.

-Paul Verlaine, from One Hundred and One Poems by Paul Verlaine: A Bilingual Edition.

Curated by Jennifer