"The neglected, the unutterable Verlaine": Arthur Symons, the Saturday review and French literature in the 1890s

Creasy, M. (2019) "The neglected, the unutterable Verlaine": Arthur Symons, the Saturday review and French literature in the 1890s. Victorian Periodicals Review, 52(1), pp. 103-123. (doi: 10.1353/vpr.2019.0004)

Abstract

In November 1894, Frank Harris bought the Saturday Review, a conservative weekly periodical. His new staff included the critic and poet Arthur Symons, who was developing a burgeoning reputation as a proponent and practitioner of Decadent literature. Using responses to the work of Paul Verlaine, this article explores how Harris's ownership of the Saturday Review provided Symons with an outlet for his critical writings on avant-garde French literature. The confluence of Symons, Harris, and the Saturday Review provides insights into the development of periodical discourse on Decadent and Symbolist writings beyond the pages of exclusive publications such as the Yellow Book and the Savoy.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Creasy, Dr Matthew
• Authors: Creasy, M.
• College/School: College of Arts > School of Critical Studies > English Literature
• Journal Name: Victorian Periodicals Review
• Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press
• ISSN: 0709-4698
• ISSN (Online): 1712-526X
• Published Online: 26 April 2019
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2019 The Research Society for Victorian Periodicals
• First Published: First published in Victorian Periodicals Review 52(1):103-123
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the publisher copyright policy