Stéphane Mallarmé was born in Paris on 18 March 1842 into an affluent middle-class family. His childhood was marred by the death of his mother when he was only five years old, and he would also lose his sister at the age of fifteen. Mallarmé’s father quickly remarried after the death of his first wife, and devoted his attentions primarily to his new family. As a result, the young Stéphane was frequently shunted between his maternal grandparents, the home of his father and stepmother, and various boarding schools. His school career was far from distinguished: he was seen as a waster by his teachers and was expelled from one school before failing his baccalaureate in 1860. Having retaken and passed the exam later that year, Mallarmé was expected to follow his father and grandfather…
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Citation: Shingler, Katherine. "Stéphane Mallarmé". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 03 October 2006 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=2896, accessed 22 November 2024.]
