ABSTRACT
Narcissus is the lovechild of Liriope and the River Cephissus. The origins of the character and genesis of the myth remain unknown. The myth of Narcissus is a real 'poetic autobiography' for Valery. In 1890, he wrote a sonnet on Narcissus in which the latter suffers from his unhappy love for himself. The myth of Narcissus became extremely significant at the end of the nineteenth century, when symbolism held sway. Narcissus symbolizes the poet who wants to discover archetypes and essences behind imperfect appearances and the water represents the work of art: 'crystal-a partial paradise in which the Idea flowers again in its superior purity'. Narcissus knows that the fusion of himself with his reflection, between the profound self and the ephemeral appearance, remains impossible. The myth of Narcissus discusses the power of Nemesis, who punishes those who seek to escape the common lot, and depicted the imperious power of love.
