FR
The subject matter of the article are Poèmes saturniens, the work of a young poet unknown at the time of the volume’s publishing, in 1867. Verlaine makes a place for himself in literature through a subtle play with forms, codes, and references. The question which has to be answered is whether Verlaine plays, in Jauss’ terms, with his readers’ horizon of expectations. The poet commences, through intertextuality, a dialogue with the poets he admires, both of the past and his contemporaries. A certain ludic dimension is what characterizes Poèmes saturniens. Key words: Literary games, intertextuality, ludic character.