José Maria de Heredia, detail of a portrait by Emile Lévy
Parnassian
French:
Parnassien
Date:
c. 1835 - c. 1876
Areas Of Involvement:
French literature
poetry
Related People:
Catulle Mendès

Parnassian, member of a group—headed by Charles-Marie-René Leconte de Lisle—of 19th-century French poets who stressed restraint, objectivity, technical perfection, and precise description as a reaction against the emotionalism and verbal imprecision of the Romantics. The poetic movement led by the Parnassians that resulted in experimentation with metres and verse forms and the revival of the sonnet paralleled the trend toward realism in drama and the novel that became evident in the late 19th century. Initially taking their themes from contemporary society, the Parnassians later turned to the mythology, epics, and sagas of exotic lands and past civilizations, notably India and ...(100 of 300 words)