Abstract
The article deals with the meaning of the myth of Nrcissus in Paul Valery's work. The motives of the myth appear ont only in his official poetry, but also in his private workshop, nad thus they create a complex evidence of his original thinking in na introspective area.
The reflective structure si approached as a dialogue of conscious and unconscious layers of human thinking in which predominates the need to empower emotions on the way to enlightenment. Valéry succeeded in elevating Narcissus to the status of an idealized poet.
In fact, the positive acceptance of the myth si crowned in his literary work, where his character of a mythical youngster si completely deprived of the traditional moral mode identifying jim with inappropriate self-love. Valéry has actually substituted it for remorseless and lonely exploration of his own soul, which is afflicted by the awareness of the agonizing reality.