Dice Thrown Never Will Annul Chance

The poem "Un Coup de dés jamais n'abolira le hasard" (Dice Thrown Never Will Annul Chance) by Stéphane Mallarmé is a significant work of French Symbolist poetry. Mallarmé, a key figure in the Symbolist movement, explored the idea that language could evoke ideal meanings beyond literal representation.

In this poem, Mallarmé experimented with typography and layout, using the visual arrangement of words on the page to convey meaning. The title itself suggests that chance, or hazard, is an inherent part of existence and cannot be eliminated by any action, even a throw of dice. The poem reflects on the creative process and the poet's attempt to find order and meaning within the chaos of existence, asserting human authorship through the creation of form, even the form of chance itself.12