The Afternoon of a Faun

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The Afternoon of a Faun (Masterplots II: Poetry Series)

The Poem

The Afternoon of a Faun is Stéphane Mallarmé’s most well-known poem. In slightly more than a hundred lines, it presents the dreamlike erotic reveries of a faun—a mythical creature of classical legend that, like the satyr, has a combination of animal features (such as horns and goatlike feet) and human features.

The poem opens with the faun becoming excited by two nymphs; he is disoriented, however, having just awakened. Finding himself alone, he realizes that the nymphs must have existed only in his dream. “Let me reflect,” he muses. He...

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• The Afternoon of a Faun (Cyclopedia of Literary Characters)
• The Afternoon of a Faun (Masterplots II: Poetry Series)
• The Afternoon of a Faun (Masterplots, Revised Second Edition)

See Also:

• Stéphane Mallarmé (Poetry)