The "Poetics of Water" in Henri de Régnier

Abstract

In «Jours de pluie», Henri de Régnier declares «Un paysage sans eau est comme un paysage mort, il lui manque une âme». This reflexion represents a constant in Régnier, and, in this line, his work is marked by the cities which left a mark on his daily life. From Honfleur, his hometown, to Venice, his city of predilection, through his most appreciated places: Versailles, Paris…     

However, water is not in Régnier a mere scenery; his literary work is covered with aquatic elements: rivers, canals, fountains, mythological creatures… to which he confers a personal meaning, which allows us to refer to a «poetics of water» in this author's work. In the present study, we will revise Régnier’s aquatic places and his most appreciated water symbols, to show the extent to which the water motif is an extremely significant guiding thread in Henri de Régnier.