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The purpose of this thesis is to consider the extent to which Edgar Allan Poe’s literary thought influenced Charles Baudelaire, Chapter one will explain when and how Baudelaire became acquainted with the works of the American writer. It will be seen that from his first readings of Poe, the Frenchman was profoundly moved; he felt that he had discovered a “frère spiritual." Baudelaire devoted almost seventeen years to the task of finding out all he could about Poe, writing articles about him and translating many of his works, the latter resulting in what is often considered to be one of the finest translations in literature. In chapter two it will be noted that there were many biographical affinities between the two writers, but that Baudelaire, in his articles on Poe, often emphasized the similarities and alluded only briefly to some of the basic differences. This can be explained by the fact that the French poet was determined that he and Poe should resemble each other. However, if the biographical similarities are often exaggerated by Baudelaire, the esthetic and artistic affinities offer a far more solid basis for comparison. Indeed, as chapter three will attempt to show, both poets shared many of the same precepts governing poetry, such as the ideal length of a poem, the role of music in verse, and the primordial importance of poetry in the life of man. Early critics tended to attribute these similarities to Poe's influence on Baudelaire. Nowadays, however, scholars tend more to ascribe this somewhat unique literary phenomenon to common influences working independently on the two poets. The general consensus is that Baudelaire's esthetic and artistic outlook was almost completely formed before he became acquainted with Poe's works. A chronological examination of some of the Frenchman's poems would appear to corroborate this theory. On the other hand, there are a number of poems which Baudelaire dedicated to a certain Madame Sabatier, in which may be seen ideas, images and even complete phrases which resemble Poe to such a degree that one is all but forced to conclude that they must result from Baudelaire's familiarity with the American's works. Chapter four discusses some of5ssthe more outstanding similarities which occur in this group, known as the "cycle de Madame Sabatier." In conclusion, it may be said that, with the exception of the Sabatier poems, Poe did not transform Baudelaire's fundamental literary outlook and added nothing to his genius. On the other hand, and of the utmost importance in a man of Baudelaire's somewhat unstable make-up, the Frenchman saw in his idol a kind of vindication of his own ideals and derived from him a certain faith in the value of his own genius. Approved as abstract: / Arts, Faculty of / French, Hispanic, and Italian Studies, Department of / Graduate

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Odilon Redon, The Visual Poet of Edgar Allan Poe: A Study of the Lithographic Album A Edgar Poe argues that the album A Edgar Poe, published in 1882, fundamentally alters Redon's artistic career. The thesis advocates the importance of Poe's writing to Redon's development, contending that the lithographic album confirms nineteenth-century literary and artistic interest in Poe. The thesis maintains that, while Redon subsequently attempted to disassociate himself from the American writer, his art was recognized and admired for its Poe-esque visions. Chapter One examines Edgar Allan Poe's influence on the nineteenth-century French artistic and literary avant-garde. The chapter argues that the artistic and spiritual resemblance between Poe and Redon facilitates the design the lithographic album A Edgar Poe, a work Redon uses to promote his own standing as an artist. Through examination of the original plates of the lithographic album A Edgar Poe at The Art Institute of Chicago, Chapter Two illustrates Poe's centrality to the evolution of Redon's art. Chapter Three argues for the importance of A Edgar Poe in Redon's oeuvre, contending that subsequent albums and commissions show the important role of literary art in Redon's artistic growth. The chapter demonstrates the significance of Redon's work to the Symbolist avant-garde of Brussels. Utilizing Andre Mellerio's notes, essays, collected letters and writings in the Ryerson & Burnham Library at the Art Institute of Chicago, the thesis argues that the album A Edgar Poe represents a pivotal stage in Redon's career through its dedication to a literary artist and the unification of art and poetry. Contending that the album develops themes prevalent in the noirs, the thesis illustrates the artistic resemblance and relationship between Poe and Redon and emphasizes the crucial role of Poe's work in Redon's progression and acceptance as an artist.

Ce mémoire analyse les différentes formes d'anglophilie que l'on retrouve chez Stéphane Mallarmé. Edgar Poe est grandement responsable de l'attachement du poète français pour la langue anglaise. En effet, celui-ci affirme dans sa correspondance avoir appris cette langue afin de "mieux lire Poe". Cette étude le mène à devenir professeur d'anglais à Tournon où il connaît en 1866 sa "crise". À ce moment-là, le poète voit sa conception de la poésie se transformer radicalement. Durant la décennie suivante, il entreprend des travaux philologiques ainsi que des traductions. La "décennie anglaise" voit Mallarmé se doter d'outils scientifiques afin de résoudre la crise déclenchée quelques années plus tôt. Cette démarche participe à l'œuvre poétique qu'il produira par la suite puisqu'elle replie le langage sur lui-même, séparant ainsi le signifiant de son référant. L'effacement langagier, qu'il met alors sur pied, permet au poète de préserver l'Idéal du grand Œuvre tout en admettant l'impossibilité de sa réalisation. Notre travail étudie d'abord les textes que Mallarmé consacre à Poe. Le sonnet "Tombeau d'Edgar Poe" écrit en 1877, le texte en prose paru dans Divagations en 1897 et les quelques références qui apparaissent dans les Vers de circonstance, publication posthume, dessinent une image héroïque du poète tout en redéfinissant son rôle. Synthèse des mythes grecs et chrétiens, le poète conçu par Mallarmé lutte avec son verbe contre les effets du temps. Les traductions que Mallarmé fait des poèmes de Poe entre 1862 et 1889 permettent à l'auteur français de manipuler la matière sonore d'une façon nouvelle. Sacrifiant le critère de fidélité au profit de la mélodie, le poète essuiera les reproches de critiques du XIXe et du XXe siècle avant de trouver des appuis chez certains traducteurs de poésie dont Yves Bonnefoy. Les ouvrages philologiques de Mallarmé, quant à eux, étudient la langue anglaise comme une langue étrangère. À partir de ces textes, le poète développera le mythe d'une langue autre qui donnerait accès à un monde jusqu'ici inaccessible. De plus, le travail de réécriture qui se fait dans ces ouvrages annonce la "disparition élocutoire du poète" que nous retrouverons plus tard dans "Crise de ver". Finalement, la lecture que Mallarmé fait de Poe l'aide à concevoir l'Œuvre pure ainsi que l'effacement langagier. En mettant la mort au centre de son œuvre, le poète américain prépare la voie à l'écriture hermétique de Mallarmé.