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Chisholm argues that Brennan found confirmation of his own thoughts in Mallarme's writing, but Brennan's pessimism is markedly greater. Mallarme's Eden is found in the future while Brennan's resides in the past and, significantly, the former's Eden is always close while the latter's Eden is far. Brennan's artistic failures can be explained by his emphasis on ideas rather than form, unlike Mallarme who placed a higher value on form.