The Symbolist Movement in Literature

by Arthur Symons

"The Symbolist Movement in Literature" by Arthur Symons is a collection of critical essays first published in 1899. This groundbreaking work introduced French Symbolist poets and writers to English-speaking audiences, profoundly shaping early Modernist literature. Through essays on figures like Verlaine, Mallarmé, and Rimbaud, Symons explored a revolutionary literary principle spreading across countries. The book became a vital influence on major writers including W. B. Yeats and T. S. Eliot, who credited it with transforming their understanding of poetry and directing the course of their careers.