FORT, PAUL

born Feb. 1, 1872, Reims, France died April 20, 1960, Argenlieu French poet and innovator of literary experiments, usually associated with the Symbolist movement. At the age of 18, reacting against the Naturalistic theatre, Fort founded the Thtre d'Art (189093), in which formalized backcloths and stylized performances were substituted for realistic settings and acting. He also founded and edited the review Vers et Prose (190514), which published the work of Paul Valry and other important Symbolist writers. Between 1897 and 1924 Fort produced 30 volumes of ballads. His ballad stanzas were printed in the form of prose paragraphs to emphasize the importance of rhythm and assonance over rhyme, but they were not otherwise unconventional.