Born in Milford Haven, Wales, to Cornish parents, Symons was educated privately, spending much of his time in France and Italy. In 1884–1886, he edited four of Bernard Quaritch's Shakespeare Quarto Facsimiles, and in 1888–1889 seven plays of the "Henry Irving" Shakespeare. He became a member of the staff of the Athenaeum in 1891, and of the Saturday Review in 1894,[2] but his major editorial feat was his work with the short-lived Savoy.[citation needed]
His first volume of verse, Days and Nights (1889), consisted of dramatic monologues. His later verse is influenced by a close study of modern French writers, of Charles Baudelaire, and especially of Paul Verlaine. He reflects French tendencies both in the subject-matter and style of his poems, in their eroticism and their vividness of description.[2] Symons contributed poems and essays to The Yellow Book, including an important piece which was later expanded into The Symbolist Movement in Literature, which would have a major influence on William Butler Yeats and T. S. Eliot. From late 1895 through 1896 he edited, along with Aubrey Beardsley and Leonard Smithers, The Savoy, a literary magazine which published both art and literature. Noteworthy contributors included Yeats, George Bernard Shaw, and Joseph Conrad. Symons was also a member of the Rhymer's Club founded by Yeats in 1890.[3]
Symons conducted a long-lasting relationship with a secret lover who has never been identified, commemorated in his book Amoris Victima; in 1901 (19 June) he married Rhoda Bowser (1874–1936), an aspiring actress and eldest daughter of a Newcastle-upon-Tyne shipping magnate.[5]
In 1902, Symons made a selection from his earlier verse, published as Poems. He translated from the Italian of Gabriele D'AnnunzioThe Dead City (1900) and The Child of Pleasure (1898), and from the French of Émile VerhaerenThe Dawn (1898). To The Poems of Ernest Dowson (1905) he prefixed an essay on the deceased poet, who was a kind of English Verlaine and had many attractions for Symons.[2] In 1909 Symons suffered a psychotic breakdown, and published very little new work for a period of more than twenty years. His wife Rhoda took over the management of his affairs. His Confessions: A Study in Pathology (1930) has a moving description of his breakdown and treatment.
In 1918, Vanity Fair magazine published Symons' Baudelarian essay, "The Gateway to an Artificial Paradise: The Effects of Hashish and Opium Compared." On one occasion between 1889 and 1895, John Addington Symonds, Ernest Dowson, and "some of Symons’ lady friends from the ballet all tried hashish during an afternoon tea given by Symons in his rooms at Fountain Court."[6]
His wife died in Tenterden Kent in 1936; Symons died probably in the same house (Island Cottage, Back Street, Kingsgate) in 1945.[7]
Verse and drama
Days and Nights (1889)
Silhouettes (1892)
The Minister's Call (1892). A Play.
London Nights (1895) a poetry collection including 'To Muriel: At the Opera'
Amoris victima (1897)
Images of Good and Evil (1899)
Poems in 2 volumes (contains: The Loom of Dreams in the second volume, 1901), (1902)
Lyrics (1903): An anthology of poetry published in the US only.
A Book of Twenty Songs (1905)
The Fool of the World and other Poems (1906)
A Book of Parodies (1908)
Poems by Arthur Symons in 2 volumes (1911)
Knave of Hearts (1913). Poems written between 1894 and 1908.
^ abcOne or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Symons, Arthur". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 26 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 287.
^"Cities by Arthur Symons". The Athenaeum (Review) (3986): 641–642. 14 November 1903.
^Freeman, Nicholas, ed. (2017). Arthur Symons, 'Spiritual Adventures'. Cambridge, UK: The Modern Humanities Research Association. pp. 57–88. ISBN9781781886137.
Further reading
Beckson, Karl & Munro, John M. (eds.) Arthur Symons: Selected Letters 1880-1935 (Macmillan, 1989)
Lhombreaud, Roger. Arthur Symons. A Critical Biography (Unicorn Press, 1963)
Welby, T. Earle. Arthur Symons. A Critical Study (A. M. Philpot, 1925)
External links
Wikiquote has quotations related to Arthur Symons.
Wikisource has original works by or about: Arthur Symons
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Arthur Symons.
Works by Arthur Symons at LibriVox (public domain audiobooks)
Poems by Arthur Symons
Selected poems by Arthur William Symons
: includes several poems by Symons
Cornell University Library Historical Monographs Collection. {Reprinted by} Cornell University Library Digital Collections
Arthur Symons Papers at the Columbia University Rare Book and Manuscript Library, New York, NY
Finding aid to Karl Beckson papers on Arthur Symons on Samuel Beckett at Columbia University. Rare Book & Manuscript Library.
The Toy Cart by Arthur Symons on Great War Theatre
Arthur Symons Collection. General Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University.
May 11, 2023
arthur, symons, arthur, william, symons, february, 1865, january, 1945, british, poet, critic, magazine, editor, symons, 1906, contents, life, verse, drama, essays, fiction, references, further, reading, external, linkslife, editborn, milford, haven, wales, co. Arthur William Symons 28 February 1865 22 January 1945 1 was a British poet critic and magazine editor Symons in 1906 Contents 1 Life 2 Verse and drama 3 Essays 4 Fiction 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External linksLife EditBorn in Milford Haven Wales to Cornish parents Symons was educated privately spending much of his time in France and Italy In 1884 1886 he edited four of Bernard Quaritch s Shakespeare Quarto Facsimiles and in 1888 1889 seven plays of the Henry Irving Shakespeare He became a member of the staff of the Athenaeum in 1891 and of the Saturday Review in 1894 2 but his major editorial feat was his work with the short lived Savoy citation needed His first volume of verse Days and Nights 1889 consisted of dramatic monologues His later verse is influenced by a close study of modern French writers of Charles Baudelaire and especially of Paul Verlaine He reflects French tendencies both in the subject matter and style of his poems in their eroticism and their vividness of description 2 Symons contributed poems and essays to The Yellow Book including an important piece which was later expanded into The Symbolist Movement in Literature which would have a major influence on William Butler Yeats and T S Eliot From late 1895 through 1896 he edited along with Aubrey Beardsley and Leonard Smithers The Savoy a literary magazine which published both art and literature Noteworthy contributors included Yeats George Bernard Shaw and Joseph Conrad Symons was also a member of the Rhymer s Club founded by Yeats in 1890 3 In 1892 The Minister s Call Symons s first play was produced by the Independent Theatre Society a private club to avoid censorship by the Lord Chamberlain s Office 4 Symons conducted a long lasting relationship with a secret lover who has never been identified commemorated in his book Amoris Victima in 1901 19 June he married Rhoda Bowser 1874 1936 an aspiring actress and eldest daughter of a Newcastle upon Tyne shipping magnate 5 In 1902 Symons made a selection from his earlier verse published as Poems He translated from the Italian of Gabriele D Annunzio The Dead City 1900 and The Child of Pleasure 1898 and from the French of Emile Verhaeren The Dawn 1898 To The Poems of Ernest Dowson 1905 he prefixed an essay on the deceased poet who was a kind of English Verlaine and had many attractions for Symons 2 In 1909 Symons suffered a psychotic breakdown and published very little new work for a period of more than twenty years His wife Rhoda took over the management of his affairs His Confessions A Study in Pathology 1930 has a moving description of his breakdown and treatment In 1918 Vanity Fair magazine published Symons Baudelarian essay The Gateway to an Artificial Paradise The Effects of Hashish and Opium Compared On one occasion between 1889 and 1895 John Addington Symonds Ernest Dowson and some of Symons lady friends from the ballet all tried hashish during an afternoon tea given by Symons in his rooms at Fountain Court 6 His wife died in Tenterden Kent in 1936 Symons died probably in the same house Island Cottage Back Street Kingsgate in 1945 7 Verse and drama EditDays and Nights 1889 Silhouettes 1892 The Minister s Call 1892 A Play London Nights 1895 a poetry collection including To Muriel At the Opera Amoris victima 1897 Images of Good and Evil 1899 Poems in 2 volumes contains The Loom of Dreams in the second volume 1901 1902 Lyrics 1903 An anthology of poetry published in the US only A Book of Twenty Songs 1905 The Fool of the World and other Poems 1906 A Book of Parodies 1908 Poems by Arthur Symons in 2 volumes 1911 Knave of Hearts 1913 Poems written between 1894 and 1908 The Toy Cart 1916 A Play Tristan and Iseult A Play in Four Acts 1917 Tragedies 1922 Love s Cruelty 1923 Jezebel Mort and other poems 1931 Essays EditAn Introduction to the study of Browning 1886 Studies in Two Literatures 1897 Aubrey Beardsley An Essay with a Preface 1898 The Symbolist Movement in Literature 1899 1919 revised and enlarged Cities 1903 word pictures of Rome Venice Naples Seville etc 8 Plays Acting and Music 1903 Studies in Prose and Verse 1904 Studies in Seven Arts 1906 William Blake 1907 Dante Gabriel Rossetti International Art Series No I 1910 Figures of Several Centuries 1916 Cities and Sea Coasts and Islands 1918 Colour Studies in Paris 1918 The Gateway to an Artificial Paradise The Effects of Hashish and Opium Compared 1918 Studies in the Elizabethan Drama 1919 Charles Baudelaire A Study 1920 Dramatis Personae 1925 US edition 1923 The Cafe Royal and other Essays 1923 Notes on Joseph Conrad with some Unpublished Letters 1925 From Toulouse Lautrec to Rodin 1929 Studies in Strange Souls 1929 Studies of Rossetti and Swinburne Confessions A Study in Pathology 1930 A book containing Symons s description of his breakdown and treatment Wanderings 1931 A Study of Walter Pater 1932 Fiction EditSpiritual Adventures 1905 With an autobiographical sketch and extracts from the Life of Lucy Newcome based on his lover Muriel Edith Broadbent 9 includes the short story Esther Kahn which was developed into the film Esther Kahn References Edit verifiable from census records and 1939 Register a b c One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain Chisholm Hugh ed 1911 Symons Arthur Encyclopaedia Britannica Vol 26 11th ed Cambridge University Press p 287 Wainwright Jeffrey Poets on Poets Carcarnet Press Ltd Manchester 1997 ISBN 1857543394 Arthur Symons 1865 1945 A Chronology Archived 8 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 15 January 2009 see Freebmd org uk or GRO registers plus census returns Munro John M Arthur Symons Twayne Publishers New York 1969 GRO records accessible via Freebmd org uk Cities by Arthur Symons The Athenaeum Review 3986 641 642 14 November 1903 Freeman Nicholas ed 2017 Arthur Symons Spiritual Adventures Cambridge UK The Modern Humanities Research Association pp 57 88 ISBN 9781781886137 Further reading EditBeckson Karl amp Munro John M eds Arthur Symons Selected Letters 1880 1935 Macmillan 1989 Lhombreaud Roger Arthur Symons A Critical Biography Unicorn Press 1963 Welby T Earle Arthur Symons A Critical Study A M Philpot 1925 External links Edit Wikiquote has quotations related to Arthur Symons Wikisource has original works by or about Arthur Symons Wikimedia Commons has media related to Arthur Symons Works by Arthur Symons at Project Gutenberg Works by Arthur Symons at Faded Page Canada Works by or about Arthur Symons at Internet Archive Works by Arthur Symons at LibriVox public domain audiobooks Poems by Arthur Symons Selected poems by Arthur William Symons Snakeskin The Arthur Symons Page includes several poems by Symons London nights Cornell University Library Historical Monographs Collection Reprinted by Cornell University Library Digital Collections Arthur Symons Papers at the Columbia University Rare Book and Manuscript Library New York NY Finding aid to Karl Beckson papers on Arthur Symons on Samuel Beckett at Columbia University Rare Book amp Manuscript Library The Toy Cart by Arthur Symons on Great War Theatre Arthur Symons Collection General Collection Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library Yale University Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Arthur Symons amp oldid 1152657169, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
