About
Arthur Rimbaud, born in Charleville in 1854, is a major French poet whose entire poetic work was written between 1869 and 1875, before the age of 21. A central figure of Symbolism, he formulated his doctrine of the poet as 'seer' in the Letters of the Seer (1871), advocating the 'derangement of all the senses'. His major works include 'The Drunken Boat', 'Vowels', A Season in Hell, and Illuminations. After a tumultuous relationship with Paul Verlaine, he abandoned poetry to travel and work as a trader in Africa. He died in Marseille in 1891.
* 1854-10-20 — † 1891-11-10
Major works
- Le Bateau ivre (1871)poem
- Le Dormeur du val (1870)poem
- Voyelles (1871)poem
- Une Saison en Enfer (1873)collection of prose poems
- Les Illuminations (1886)collection of prose poems
Key milestones
- 1871Writes the Letters of the Seer, expounding his theory of the poet as seer.
- 1873Paul Verlaine wounds him with a revolver shot in Brussels, ending their relationship.
- 1880Abandons poetry and settles in Aden then Harar as a trader.
Themes
seership and poetryrevolt and transgressionnature and landscapeslove and disillusionmentwandering and exoticism
Sources: britannica.com · charleville-sedan-tourisme.fr · cambridge.org