Stéphane Mallarmé

9.9

A French poet of the 19th century who used symbols and new ways of writing poems

proper noun
/steɪˈfɑn mɑˈlɑrmeɪ/

Literature

: Stéphane Mallarmé

Stéphane Mallarmé is considered one of the most influential French poets of the 19th century.

Examples

The poetry of Stéphane Mallarmé is often characterized by its complexity and use of symbolism.
Many literary scholars have studied the impact of Stéphane Mallarmé's work on modern poetry.
Many consider Stéphane Mallarmé a pioneer of modern poetry.
Did you read any poems by Stéphane Mallarmé?
Stéphane Mallarmé is often cited as a key figure in the development of free verse poetry in France.
The innovative techniques of Stéphane Mallarmé have inspired generations of poets around the world.
In literature classes, students frequently analyze the works of Stéphane Mallarmé to understand symbolism in poetry.

Surface Forms

Stéphane Mallarmé main

Morphology

Stéphane + Mallarmé

This is a proper name composed of two personal name tokens; the meaning ('a French symbolist poet') is referential and not built from the lexical meanings of the parts. Knowing the constituents as names does not allow a B1 learner to derive the person’s identity or occupation, so the expression is non-compositional for learners.

Etymology

Stéphane Mallarmé liked to arrange words like objects on an empty stage, leaving gaps so readers had to search for the meaning. That's why his name is connected to 'symbolist' poetry and he is seen as an important figure in 'modern poetry'.