Paul Valéry e Paul Claudel

Caminhos que se bifurcam na poesia francesa do século XX

Abstract

Paul Valéry and Paul Claudel interpreted the influence of Stéphane Mallarmé in distinct ways, constituting two principal poetic currents of early 20th-century French literature. Mallarmé developed his theory of the suggestion of poetic language as an aesthetic expression of his existential and religious crisis in the mid-1860s. This theory resonated with Valéry, for whom so-called pure poetry was a demanding artistic ideal, conceived by borrowing religious terminology but without adherence to specific religious traditions. Claudel, on the other hand, drew upon Catholicism, reflecting a distinct worldview from the other two authors. This relationship among Mallarmé, Valéry, and Claudel is situated in the context of the Third French Republic, a period of secularization that provoked diverse reactions among intellectuals. Understanding these diverse reactions can be aided by Louis Dumont's theory on the transition of European societies from communal holism to individualism, allowing us to address not only issues of poetic artistry or aesthetic vision but also metaphysical and existential concerns related to transcendence and asceticism in a secularized society.