Henri de Régnier

Born in Honfleur on December 28, 1864, Henri de Régnier studied law in Paris before turning fully to literature. He became associated with the Symbolist movement and was soon recognized as one of the important French poets of the early 20th century.

Régnier wrote not only poetry but also novels, tales, and essays. Readers were drawn to the musical, refined quality of his writing and to the dreamlike, reflective worlds he created. He also published in literary reviews and moved in major cultural circles of his time.

In 1911 he was elected to the Académie française, a sign of the high regard he had earned in French letters. He died in Paris on May 23, 1936, leaving behind a body of work that still stands out for its grace, subtlety, and richly imagined mood.