st.-john perse: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Low (Specialist/Literary)Formal, Literary, Academic
Quick answer
What does “st.-john perse” mean?
The pen name of the French poet and diplomat Alexis Léger (1887–1975), used to refer to him or his literary work.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The pen name of the French poet and diplomat Alexis Léger (1887–1975), used to refer to him or his literary work.
A literary figure, particularly associated with epic, visionary poetry that blends modernism with classical themes, and winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1960.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant usage difference; the name is treated identically in both literary traditions.
Connotations
Connotes high modernist poetry, diplomatic history (he was a senior French diplomat), and Nobel laureate status.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in general discourse; appears almost exclusively in literary criticism, history of poetry, or Nobel Prize contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “st.-john perse” in a Sentence
[Author] St.-John Perse wrote...The poems by St.-John Perse are...One can analyse St.-John Perse's imagery.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “st.-john perse” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- a Persean sensibility
- the Persean opus
American English
- a Persean vision
- Persean grandeur
Usage
Meaning in Context
Academic
The dissertation explored the maritime symbolism in St.-John Perse's 'Seamarks'.
Technical
The critical edition examines the manuscript variants of St.-John Perse's 'Exil'.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “st.-john perse”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “st.-john perse”
- Writing 'Saint John Perse' without the hyphen or periods.
- Pronouncing 'Perse' as 'purse' instead of like 'purse' with a soft 's' ( /pɛəs/ or /pɜːrs/).
- Using it as a common noun.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is the pen name of the real person Alexis Léger, who was a French poet and diplomat.
It is a stylistic orthographic choice for the pen name, following an older convention for abbreviating 'Saint'.
His long poem 'Anabasis' (1924) is among his most celebrated and influential works.
The standard literary reference uses the stylized form 'St.-John Perse'. Using 'Saint John Perse' is less conventional in formal literary contexts.
The pen name of the French poet and diplomat Alexis Léger (1887–1975), used to refer to him or his literary work.
St.-john perse is usually formal, literary, academic in register.
St.-john perse: in British English it is pronounced /ˌseɪntˈdʒɒn ˈpɛəs/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌseɪntˈdʒɑːn ˈpɜːrs/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Saint John (a name) + Perse (like 'verse' for poetry) = a saintly name for a poetic verse-maker.
Conceptual Metaphor
THE POET IS A DIPLOMAT / THE POEM IS AN EPIC JOURNEY.
Practice
Quiz
What is 'St.-John Perse' primarily known as?