Abstract
The chapter describes and evaluates the main aesthetical and philosophical criteria as they appear in those articles and books by Tancrède de Visan that deal with Symbolism. In his approach to poetry and more generally to literature two basic convictions are identified.
First, that poets should aspire to a complete representation of human soul, and secondly that they should thus refrain from a limited rationalist vision. Poetry should be given a mission which is not dissimilar to what Bergson calls "intuition".
This method shall lead a poet to a synthesis integrating both the senses and reason. Such aspiration to a synthesis is then seen as an ideal means of expressing the complex nature of Life which constitutes Visan's supreme and often repeated requirement.
Based on these two criteria, Visan evaluates the achievements of Parnassian and Symbolist poets, but his reading and evaluations are considered somewhat misleading. He seems to overrate the Parnassian call for objectivity and for exact imitation.
These hasty assertions are no longer tenable, pertly because they deliberately served the purpose of polemic. On the other hand, Visan's analytical skills and his ability to clearly demonstrate the aesthetical criteria are still very convincing.
In particular, Visan's distinction between what he calls "vision périphérique" and "vision centrale" sertves the characterisation of Parnassian and Symbolist poetry very well and thus preserves its heuristic feasibility.