author
Jean Moréas
1856–1910
A Greek-born poet who made his career in French, he helped define Symbolism and later surprised readers by turning toward a more classical style. His life and work sit at a fascinating crossroads of literary rebellion and tradition.
3 Audiobooks
Les demoiselles Goubert: mœurs de Paris
by Jean Moréas, Paul Adam
Le thé chez Miranda
by Jean Moréas, Paul Adam
Les Syrtes (1883-1884)
by Jean Moréas
About the author
Born in Athens on April 15, 1856, Jean Moréas was the pen name of Ioannis Papadiamantopoulos. He grew up with a strong connection to French language and literature, moved to Paris in 1879, and became part of the lively literary world of cafés, journals, and artistic debate.
Moréas is best remembered as a leading figure in the Symbolist movement. In 1886, he published the "Symbolist Manifesto" in Le Figaro, helping give a name and shape to a new style of writing that pushed back against plain realism and favored suggestion, music, and atmosphere. His early books, including Les Syrtes, made him an important voice in that circle.
Later in his career, he shifted away from Symbolism toward a more classical manner, especially in works such as Stances. That change makes him especially interesting: rather than staying in one school, he kept rethinking what poetry could be. He died in Paris on March 31, 1910, but his role in naming and shaping Symbolism still gives him a lasting place in literary history.