Mother – Source of Life. A Female Destiny in Fin de Siècle Aquatic Imagery

Abstract

The current article aims to present the woman’s destiny, which was expressed by the poets of French symbolism in the symbols that create the aquatic universe of 19th century, consisting of both female mythological characters and water itself as an element, which has been endowed with characteristics appropriate for mothers. The historical-literary and comparative method permit to present the figure of the mother as a woman’s destiny glorified in the epoch. Its main elements that emerge from the poems are fertility, providing nutrition, peace and safety. In addition, it can be concluded that the poetic image corresponds to the social vision, responding to the needs of the contemporary society.