How did Symbolist poets use metaphor and imagery to express inner experience?

Symbolist poets in French literature sought to move beyond the rigid, descriptive conventions of earlier movements like Parnassianism. Instead, they aimed to evoke the fleeting, immediate sensations of an individual’s inner life and communicate the underlying mystery of existence.12

To achieve this, they utilized metaphors and imagery that lacked precise, literal meanings. By employing these personal, suggestive symbols, poets could convey the state of their own minds and hint at an inexpressible, "dark and confused" reality. This approach was deeply influenced by Charles Baudelaire and his concept of correspondances—the idea that there are inherent links between the senses.12

Symbolists often "orchestrated" their themes by manipulating the harmonies, tones, and colors of words, treating poetry similarly to music. For instance, Stéphane Mallarmé experimented with syntactic patterns and rhythms to allow images to form new constellations of meaning, while Arthur Rimbaud used surreal imagery to explore his own desires and sensations, aiming to break free from rationalist categories. Ultimately, they believed that art could glimpse an essential reality hidden beneath the material world.13