Moréas’s Manifesto of Symbolism (1886)

Jean Moréas, originally Ioannis Papadiamantópoulos, was a French-speaking Greek symbolist poet. He was born in Athens on April 15, 1856 into a prestigious Athenian family. His grandfather played a significant role in the Greek War of Independence, and his father was a magistrate. Moréas received a French education and moved to Paris in 1875 to study law. There, he immersed himself in literary circles, notably the Hydropathes. After a brief return to Greece, he settled in Paris around 1880.

Moréas contributed to Lutèce and Le Chat noir, publishing his initial collections, “Les Syrtes” in 1884 and “Cantilènes” in 1886. These collections, influenced by Verlaine, were initially associated with the decadent movement, which Moréas later renounced in favour of symbolism. He articulated this stance in a literary manifesto published in Le Figaro’s supplement on September 18, 1886, celebrating the symbolist movement and distancing himself from decadentism and Parnassianism. On October 1, 1886, he also launched the review Le Symboliste, with Paul Adam and Gustave Kahn.

Moréas defined symbolist poetry as the embodiment of ideas in tangible forms without making these forms the ultimate goal. His later works, including the novel “Les Demoiselles Goubert” and the poetry collection “The Passionate Pilgrim,” reflected a departure from Germanic and Scandinavian influences prevalent in symbolism.

In 1892, he founded the Romanesque School, advocating clarity and simplicity, inspired by the Graeco-Latin tradition. This shift led to his subsequent embrace of neo-classicism, with “Stances” (1899) epitomizing this change.

Moréas died in Saint-Mandé on March 30, 1910 and, though cremated, he has a symbolic grave in the Père-Lachaise cemetery. The Jean-Moréas Prize was established in his honour.

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