A compelling selection of Valéry's poetry and prose Drawn from the authoritative Collected Works of Paul Valéry, this anthology offers an introduction to the diverse genius of this important poet and essayist. The volume features "The Evening with Monsieur Teste" (1896), from Jackson Mathews's National Book Award-winning translation of the novel Monsieur Teste. It includes such notable essays as the "Introduction to the Method of Leonardo da Vinci," "The Crisis of Mind," and "Poetry and Abstract Thought"; some of Valéry's best poems; prose poems; and two dialogues. The Collected Works of Paul Valéry, the first collected edition of the writer in English, features new translations, the original French on facing pages for poetic works, and editorial notes.

Paul Valéry (1871-1945) was a French poet, essayist, and critic and a major figure in twentieth-century literature. In addition to his poetry, his best-known works include the novel Monsieur Teste and his posthumously published Notebooks.