ABSTRACT
Belgian Symbolism developed and grew from fertile context of francophone exchange and cultural interpenetration. In Verhaeren's poetry, Symbolism takes account of social and industrial progress and growth, but also of its casualties and devastations. His Belgium is a place at once over-imagined and true to its economic and social realities and its historical moment. French Symbolism helps Belgian Symbolism resolve its identity crisis, by helping it assume its identity crisis. It does so by enabling Belgian literature to define itself through and not against its hybrid nature and doubleness. Many of the influential definitions of Belgian literature, however, such as those attempted by Camille Lemonnier and Edmond Picard, are dominated by images of duality, fusion, interpenetration. Belgian literature is aware of itself as a national literature made up of shifting regionalisms — La Wallonie, with its proudly regionalist title, ironically enough, helps make the international reputations of Flemish writers writing in French.
