The sun., 1908-11-22
KRANcIs PloIOTERIN. Z

Rebours." the transcription Of which may
be helpful In understanding the work OF
that rare literary artist Francis Poicte-
win. "The poem In prose. wrote Huys-
mans, handled by an alohemist OF genius,
should contain the qulntessence. the en-
tire strength OF the novel. the long analy-
sis and the superhuous description OF
which 1t suppresses the adjective
placed in such an ingenious and definite
way that 1t could not be legally dispos-
sessed Of Its place. that the reader would
dream for whole weeks together over its
meaning. at once precise and multiple;
affirm the present. reconstruct the past,
divine the future OF the souls revealed by
the light OF the unique epithet. The novel
thus understood, thus condensed into one
or two pages. would be a communion Of
thought between magical writer and an
ideal reader. spiritual collaboration by
consent between ten superior persons
scattered through the universe. a delec-
tation offered to the most refined and ac-
cessible only to them'
This arlstocratc theory OF art was long
ago propounded by Poe in regard to the
short poem. Huysmans transposed the
idea to the key of fiction in describing
the essential prose Of Mallarme: but
some years before the author OF "A Re-
bours" wrote his ideal book on decadence
modest young Frenchman had put into
practice the delightfully."- impracticable
theories of the prose poem. This writer
was Francis Poictevin (born at Paris
in 1850. Many there were, beginning
| vi 4
who had essayed the form, at it's best
extremely difficult. at it's worst too tempt
ing to facile conquests: Baudelaire. Hugs
mans In his "Le Drageoir aux Epices, ="
Daudet, De Banville. Villiers de L'Isle
Adam. Maurice de Guerin, and how many
others During the s0s the world of lit
erature seemed to be fabricating poems in
prose. Pale youths upon whose brows
descended aureoles at twilight sought
fame on this ivory miniature carving ad-
dressed to the ten superior persons" very
much scattered over the globe. But like
most peptonio products the brain, as does
the stomach, finally refuses to accept
as nourishment these artificial concoc-
tions too heavily favored with midnight
oil. The world. which Is gross. prefers
its literature by the gross. and although
it has been said that all the great exterior
novels have been written, the majority
Of readers continue to read long winded
stories dealing with manners and, OF
course, the eternal conquest of an unin-
teresting female by a mediocre male.
Aiming at instantaneity Of pictorial and
musical effectas picture become
| lyrical the poets who fashioned their
prose into artistic rhythms and oolors
and tones ended by Axhausting the pa
tience of a public rapidly losing the
faculty OF attention"
Possibly these things may account for
the neglect of writer and thinker OF
such delicacy and originality as Poictevin.
but he was always caviar even to the con-
sumers of literary caviar He had a
small audience in Paris. and after his
first book appeared-one hesitates to call
it a novel-Daudet saluted it with the
praise that Sainte- Beuve. the Sainte-
Deuve of "Volupt6' and port Royal"
would have been delighted with la
Robe du Moine.' Here is a list of Poicte-
wins works and the years Of their publi-
cation until 1894. Please note their sig
Robe du Moine," 1882; -Ludine,' 1888;
-Songes," 1884; "Petitan,' 1885. "Seuls,r
1885; -Paysages ct Nouveaux Songes,"
1888; "Derniers Songes," 1888; Double
1889; @Presaue." 1891; "Heures,' 1892;
Tout Bas," 1893; "Ombres." 1894.
A collective title for them might be
-Nuances"; Poictevin searches the last
nuance Of sensations and ideas. He is
remote pupil Of the Goncourts and far
superior to his master in his power of re-
cording the impalpable. Compare any
OF his books with the Mime. Gervaisais"
OF the Gonoourts; the latter is mysti-
cism in the concrete. At the same time
he recalls Amiel, Maurice de Guerin,
Walter Pater and Coventry Patmore. A
mystical pantheist in his worship OF ma
ture. he is a mystic in his alteration Of
God. This intensity Of vision in the case
OF Poictevin did not lead TO the depravi-
ties, exquisite and morose, Of Baudeaire,
Huysmans and the brilliant but out
rageous Barley d'Aurevilly With his
soul OF ermine Poictevin is characterized
by De Gourmont as the inventor OF the
mysticism OF style. Once he saluted
Edmund de Goncourt as the Velasquez
OF the French language, and that master.
not to be outdone in poiteness. told
Poictevin that his prose could boast it's
victories over the Invisible II by this
Goncourt meant making the invisible
visible. rendering In prose of crepuscular
subtlety moods recondite. then it was not
an exaggerated compliment. In such
spiritual performances Poictevin resem-
bles Lafcadio Hearn in his airiest
gossamer webbed phrases. true, not
a professional symbolist, the French pro-
sdteur sounds Debussy twilight harmon
les. His speech at times glistens with
the hues OF a dragon fly zigzagging In
the sunshine. In the tenuous exaltation of
his thought he evokes the ineifable deity.
circled by faint glory, To compass his
picture he does not hesitate to break the
classic mould Of French syntax while
using all manners OF strange tangled
yocables to attain effects that remind one
OF the clear obscure Of Rembrandt. In
deed, a mystic style is this, beside which
most writer's are heavy handed and OBJ
vious.
Original in his form. in the bizarre archi-
lecture Of his paragraphs, pages, chap
ters, he abolishes the old endings. ca
dences, chapter headings. Nor, except
at the beginning of his career, did he
portray definite hero or heroine. Even
names are avoided. He" or she" suffioes
to indicate the sex. Action there Ia little