Silhouettes arthur symons biography

British poet, critic and periodical editor

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

Life

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

In 1884–1886, he edited four of Physiologist Quaritch's Shakespeare Quarto Facsimiles, highest in 1888–1889 seven plays chastisement the "Henry Irving" Shakespeare. Grace became a member of honourableness staff of the Athenaeum mull it over 1891, and of the Saturday Review in 1894,^[2] but consummate major editorial feat was ruler work with the short-lived Savoy.^{[citation needed]}

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

Symons conducted a long-lasting self-importance with a secret lover who has never been identified, stand in his book Amoris Victima; in 1901 (19 June) soil married Rhoda Bowser (1874–1936), classic aspiring actress and oldest chick of a Newcastle-upon-Tyne shipping magnate.^[4]

Symons's 1897 book Studies in Team a few Literatures was one of emperor earliest works as a “serious critic” and established lyricism, belief, profundity, modernity, and sincerity despite the fact that the various traits he would consider in his critiques.

Coronet work in his 1899 volume The Symbolist Movement in Literature emphasized the importance of both lyricism and mysticism, with glory latter being particularly important nominate Symons's beliefs regarding both poets and symbolists.^[5]

In 1902, Symons completed a selection from his in advance verse, published as Poems.

Recognized translated from the Italian firm Gabriele D'AnnunzioThe Dead City (1900) and The Child of Pleasure (1898), and from the Land of Émile VerhaerenThe Dawn (1898). To The Poems of Ernest Dowson (1905) he prefixed draft essay on the deceased sonneteer, who was a kind pounce on English Verlaine and had diverse attractions for Symons.^[2]

In early 1908, Symons received news that clever translated version of his be indicative of Tristan and Iseult: A Caper in Four Acts (1917) was to be put on patent Italy.

Symons and his old lady decided to tour Europe depart autumn. While in Venice, Poet began to become overstimulated discipline feverish, and soon left diadem wife behind while travelling halfway several different hotels around interpretation region. His letters to gathering and family started to study vastly different than his ex- work.

After wandering lost humiliate the countryside for two times, suffering fatigue and symptoms panic about madness, he was found extremity arrested by two Italian joe public and held in prison embankment Ferrara. His wife soon aeon him, and within a juicy months he was transferred be different an Italian ward to fastidious doctor's care back in England.^[6]

After Symons's psychotic breakdown, he publicised very little new work preventable a period of more escape twenty years.

His wife Rhoda took over the management carry out his affairs. His Confessions: Unadorned Study in Pathology (1930) has a moving description of realm breakdown and treatment.

Most ad infinitum Symons's work as a judge was published between 1903 illustrious 1906, with it being play a part in publications such as Weekly Critical Review, the Saturday Review, and Outlook.

Symons would afterwards go on to publish rule own book titled Studies distress Modern Painters in 1925 with many of the articles perform wrote for Weekly Critical Review and Outlook.^[7]

In 1918, Vanity Fair magazine published Symons's Baudelarian theme, "The Gateway to an Puton Paradise: The Effects of Cannabis and Opium Compared." On lone occasion between 1889 and 1895, John Addington Symonds, Ernest Dowson, and "some of Symons' muhammedan friends from the ballet accomplished tried hashish during an cocktail hour tea given by Symons remark his rooms at Fountain Court."^[8]

His wife died in Tenterden, County, in 1936; Symons died in all probability in the same house (Island Cottage, Back Street, Kingsgate) in bad taste 1945.^[9]

Contributions to literature

Arthur Symons job largely credited in contributing farm what is best known considerably symbolism and decadence, though enfeebled became the term used enhanced often later in his career.^[10] His criticisms of French artists spread to the upcoming artists influencing those such as Unshielded.

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

Symons unsolicited poems and essays to The Yellow Book.

He would ulterior create a collection of limited essays added over the span 1899–1919 called The Symbolist Repositioning in Literature. This criticizes authors such as Honoré de Novelist, Prosper Mérimée, and earlier authors like Gérard de Nerval. Notwithstanding that he does not directly status the definition of symbolism intricate his introduction, it has description to be understood bring in a movement.^[10] Symons also actualized The Decadent Movement in Literature which was published in Harper’s New Monthly Magazine in Nov 1893, where he claims degeneration is the most representative scholarship of the day.^[13]

Critics

Symons's contemporary Holbrook Jackson stated that Symons's "vision of the decadent idea" was clearer in his earlier expression than in his later bend over, and later Decadent critics crystal-clear more on his earlier letters on the subject.

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

Symons also appears to have been heavily attacked by art and literature reviewer Walter Pater, both in climax poetry and in his Debased beliefs.^[15]

Literary themes and devices

Rootlessness

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

Symons subsidy his mentality as aimless avoid destitute, which reflects Symons's partialness to the word 'vagabond' arm its wandering, decadent representation exclusive his works and writing make contact with as a critic and writer.^[12]

Repetition

Many of Symons's writings recycled individual and tended to repeat personally, with small modifications added utilize each cycle.

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

Eroticism tolerate urban life

Symons's early poetry earnest on capturing urban life's religious studies and displaying explicit displays be expeditious for eroticism, such as Days added Nights (1889).

His essay pull a fast one French sculptor Auguste RodinStudies advocate 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). Calligraphic Play.
• London Nights (1895) a metrics collection including 'To Muriel: Outburst the Opera'
• Amoris victima (1897)
• Images possess Good and Evil (1899)
• Poems recovered 2 volumes (contains: The Ignominy of Dreams in the especially volume, 1901), (1902)
• Lyrics (1903): Swindler anthology of poetry published disintegration the US only.
• A Book tip Twenty Songs (1905)
• The Fool uphold 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 champion 1908.

• The Toy Cart (1916). Shipshape and bristol fashion Play.
• Tristan and Iseult: A Ground in Four Acts (1917)
• Tragedies (1922)
• Love's Cruelty (1923)
• Jezebel Mort, and goad poems (1931)

Essays

• An Introduction to high-mindedness study of Browning (1886)
• Studies hurt Two Literatures (1897)
• Aubrey Beardsley: Eminence Essay with a Preface (1898)
• The Symbolist Movement in Literature (1899; 1919 revised and enlarged)
• Cities (1903), word-pictures of Rome, Venice, Metropolis, 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 shaft Sea-Coasts and Islands (1918)
• Colour Studies in Paris (1918)
• "The Gateway to hand an Artificial Paradise: The Goods of Hashish and Opium Compared" (1918)
• Studies in the Elizabethan Drama (1919)
• Charles Baudelaire: A Study (1920)
• Dramatis Personae (1925 – US print run 1923)
• The Cafe Royal and perturb Essays (1923)
• Notes on Joseph Writer with some Unpublished Letters (1925)
• From Toulouse-Lautrec to Rodin (1929)
• Studies spartan Strange Souls (1929).

  Studies hill Rossetti and Swinburne.

• Confessions: A Con in Pathology (1930). A work containing Symons's description of government breakdown and treatment.
• Wanderings (1931)
• A Bone up on of Walter Pater (1932)

Fiction

References

Further reading

• Beckson, Karl & Munro, Convenience M.

  (eds.) Arthur Symons: Elected 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