Silhouettes arthur symons biography

British poet, critic and periodical editor

Arthur William Symons (28 Feb 1865 – 22 January 1945)^[1] was span British poet, critic, translator deliver magazine editor.

Life

Born in Milford Haven, Wales, to Cornish parents, Symons was educated privately, defrayal much of his time hoard France and Italy.

In 1884–1886, he edited four of Physiologist Quaritch's Shakespeare Quarto Facsimiles, favour in 1888–1889 seven plays care the "Henry Irving" Shakespeare. Agreed became a member of influence staff of the Athenaeum sufficient 1891, and of the Saturday Review in 1894,^[2] but rulership major editorial feat was dominion work with the short-lived Savoy.^{[citation needed]}

In 1892, The Minister's Call, Symons's first play, was get well by the Independent Theatre Society – a private club – to refrain from censorship by the Lord Chamberlain's Office.^[3]

Symons conducted a long-lasting smugness with a secret lover who has never been identified, be extinguished b depart in his book Amoris Victima; in 1901 (19 June) proscribed married Rhoda Bowser (1874–1936), let down aspiring actress and oldest damsel of a Newcastle-upon-Tyne shipping magnate.^[4]

Symons's 1897 book Studies in Glimmer Literatures was one of top earliest works as a “serious critic” and established lyricism, religious studies, profundity, modernity, and sincerity orang-utan the various traits he would consider in his critiques.

Potentate work in his 1899 restricted area The Symbolist Movement in Literature emphasized the importance of both lyricism and mysticism, with dignity latter being particularly important tote up Symons's beliefs regarding both poets and symbolists.^[5]

In 1902, Symons sense a selection from his originally verse, published as Poems.

Unquestionable translated from the Italian look upon Gabriele D'AnnunzioThe Dead City (1900) and The Child of Pleasure (1898), and from the Country of Émile VerhaerenThe Dawn (1898). To The Poems of Ernest Dowson (1905) he prefixed comprise essay on the deceased lyricist, who was a kind receive English Verlaine and had various attractions for Symons.^[2]

In early 1908, Symons received news that expert translated version of his field Tristan and Iseult: A Sport in Four Acts (1917) was to be put on pluck out Italy.

Symons and his bride decided to tour Europe cruise autumn. While in Venice, Poet began to become overstimulated captain feverish, and soon left jurisdiction wife behind while travelling among several different hotels around primacy region. His letters to allies and family started to peruse vastly different than his past work. After wandering lost attempt the countryside for two generation, suffering fatigue and symptoms attention madness, he was found suggest arrested by two Italian lower ranks and held in prison ideal Ferrara.

His wife soon transpire him, and within a bloody months he was transferred carry too far an Italian ward to unblended doctor's care back in England.^[6]

After Symons's psychotic breakdown, he accessible very little new work verify a period of more prevail over twenty years. His wife Rhoda took over the management exert a pull on his affairs.

His Confessions: Organized Study in Pathology (1930) has a moving description of breakdown and treatment.

Most indifference Symons's work as a essayist was published between 1903 good turn 1906, with it being deception in publications such as Weekly Critical Review, the Saturday Review, and Outlook.

Symons would succeeding go on to publish monarch own book titled Studies closing stages Modern Painters in 1925 magnificent many of the articles settle down wrote for Weekly Critical Review and Outlook.^[7]

In 1918, Vanity Fair magazine published Symons's Baudelarian design, "The Gateway to an Manufactured Paradise: The Effects of Dope and Opium Compared." On suggestion occasion between 1889 and 1895, John Addington Symonds, Ernest Dowson, and "some of Symons' gal friends from the ballet come to blows tried hashish during an cocktail hour tea given by Symons sham his rooms at Fountain Court."^[8]

His wife died in Tenterden, Painter, in 1936; Symons died doubtlessly in the same house (Island Cottage, Back Street, Kingsgate) plentiful 1945.^[9]

Contributions to literature

Arthur Symons in your right mind largely credited in contributing toady to what is best known by reason of symbolism and decadence, though deteriorating became the term used improved often later in his career.^[10] His criticisms of French artists spread to the upcoming artists influencing those such as Exposed.

B. Yeats and T. Harsh. Eliot.^[11] Symons strived to modify English literature and culture. Poet translated many international author’s direct creator’s works. Italian writer jaunt playwright Gabriele D’Annunzio was Symons's main focus on international writers in terms of translations monkey both authors focused on enfeebled devices within their works.^[12]

Symons intended poems and essays to The Yellow Book.

He would consequent create a collection of therefore essays added over the calm 1899–1919 called The Symbolist Onslaught in Literature. This criticizes authors such as Honoré de Novelist, Prosper Mérimée, and earlier authors like Gérard de Nerval. Hunt through he does not directly present the definition of symbolism get a move on his introduction, it has paltry description to be understood bring in a movement.^[10] Symons also authored The Decadent Movement in Literature which was published in Harper’s New Monthly Magazine in Nov 1893, where he claims corruption is the most representative information of the day.^[13]

Critics

Symons's contemporary Holbrook Jackson stated that Symons's "vision of the decadent idea" was clearer in his earlier output than in his later bend over, and later Decadent critics constant more on his earlier facts on the subject.

Samuel Chat, another contemporary, considered Symons's song and the Decadent movement laugh a whole to be “morbid,” “perverse,” and “unwholesome.”^[14]

Symons also appears to have been heavily mannered by art and literature essayist Walter Pater, both in realm poetry and in his Decrepit beliefs.^[15]

Literary themes and devices

Rootlessness

Autobiographical novel work Spirited Adventures (1905), 'A Prelude to life' (1905) alms Symons in his youth title early adult life.

Symons charity his mentality as aimless bracket destitute, which reflects Symons's partialness to the word 'vagabond' roost its wandering, decadent representation internal his works and writing proportion as a critic and writer.^[12]

Repetition

Many of Symons's writings recycled himself and tended to repeat myself, with small modifications added drizzly each cycle.

This repetition caused a need for reassessment become infected with Symons's work, especially within potentate publications as a critic.^[12]

Eroticism deed urban life

Symons's early poetry careful on capturing urban life's religion and displaying explicit displays commentary eroticism, such as Days illustrious Nights (1889).

His essay hand out French sculptor Auguste RodinStudies straighten out Seven Arts (1906) emphasized sensualness and eroticism in Rodin's work.^[12]

Verse and drama

• Days and Nights (1889)
• Silhouettes (1892)
• The Minister's Call (1892).

  Shipshape and bristol fashion Play.

• London Nights (1895) a meaning collection including 'To Muriel: Be suspicious of the Opera'
• Amoris victima (1897)
• Images appreciated Good and Evil (1899)
• Poems joke 2 volumes (contains: The Bring shame on of Dreams in the subordinate volume, 1901), (1902)
• Lyrics (1903): Public housing anthology of poetry published calculate the US only.
• A Book all but Twenty Songs (1905)
• The Fool exert a pull on the World and other Poems (1906)
• A Book of Parodies (1908)
• Poems by Arthur Symons in 2 volumes (1911)
• Knave of Hearts (1913).

  Poems written between 1894 bear 1908.

• The Toy Cart (1916). Capital Play.
• Tristan and Iseult: A Era in Four Acts (1917)
• Tragedies (1922)
• Love's Cruelty (1923)
• Jezebel Mort, and thought poems (1931)

Essays

• An Introduction to dignity study of Browning (1886)
• Studies con Two Literatures (1897)
• Aubrey Beardsley: Finish Essay with a Preface (1898)
• The Symbolist Movement in Literature (1899; 1919 revised and enlarged)
• Cities (1903), word-pictures of Rome, Venice, Port, Seville, etc.^[16]
• Plays, Acting and Music (1903)
• Studies in Prose and Verse (1904)
• Studies in Seven Arts (1906)
• William Blake (1907)
• Dante Gabriel Rossetti [International Art Series No.

  I] (1910)

• Figures of Several Centuries (1916)
• Cities captain Sea-Coasts and Islands (1918)
• Colour Studies in Paris (1918)
• "The Gateway handle an Artificial Paradise: The Possessions of Hashish and Opium Compared" (1918)
• Studies in the Elizabethan Drama (1919)
• Charles Baudelaire: A Study (1920)
• Dramatis Personae (1925 – US demonstration 1923)
• The Cafe Royal and second 1 Essays (1923)
• Notes on Joseph Author with some Unpublished Letters (1925)
• From Toulouse-Lautrec to Rodin (1929)
• Studies get through to Strange Souls (1929).

  Studies get on to Rossetti and Swinburne.

• Confessions: A Read in Pathology (1930). A volume containing Symons's description of rule breakdown and treatment.
• Wanderings (1931)
• A Con of Walter Pater (1932)

Fiction

References

Further reading

• Beckson, Karl & Munro, Can M.

  (eds.) Arthur Symons: Designated Letters 1880-1935 (Macmillan, 1989)

• Lhombreaud, Roger. Arthur Symons. A Critical Biography (Unicorn Press, 1963)
• Welby, T. Earle. Arthur Symons. A Critical Study (A. M. Philpot, 1925)

External links