Arthur Rimbaud- Poetry Analysis

Understandably, a poets life and circumstances will affect his poetry, as poetry often speaks of experience or feelings generated by those experiences. The 19th Century, French poet Rimbaud, led a most unorthodox life. He was a homosexual, extremely antireligious and opinionated to say the least. His poetry is much like his life, that is, it is often unorthodox.

Jean Nicholas Arthur Rimbaud was born October 24, 1854 in Chareleville, France. His father, Frederic held the rank of Captain of Infantry in the French Military, he had risen to this position from that of a mere recruit. For much of Rimbaud’s early childhood he was stationed in Northern Africa. His father had also written several unpublished military works and had translated the Koran into French, which Rimbaud would later use to study Arabic.

Rimbaud’s mother and father separated when he was six, his mother, Marie-Catherine, was left to raise his siblings and him by herself, as Rimbaud’s father was not heard from again. His mother was a stern woman who raised her children in a rigid manner, controlling even the books they read. Rimbaud was an advanced, clever child who was also particularly religious, owing to his mother’s be

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-Petit Poucet reveur, j’egrenais dans ma course

Des rimes. Verlaine and his in-laws were shocked by Rimbauds youth, his personal filthiness and his opinions.

Rimbaud quickly became accustomed with Paris and its customs; he began drinking absinthe and smoking marijuana, which by his first reports made him ‘see white moons, black moons. Upon his return, he passed through lines of Prussian soldiers who were soon to enter Paris, as part of a German unification attempt. He frequently stopped priests in the streets and wrote slogans such as “MERDE A DIEU”. The specification that the wine is old also shows the esteemed position, which the cupboard holds, something, which should be treasured, savoured. This enhances even more so the character of the old person which the cupboard has been given. This was to be his last writing, as shortly before his 21st birthday he announced he was through with literature. He found work in Cyprus as a quarry foreman and was angered to hear that his mother had paid for a publishing of five hundred copies of his collected poems. This use of personification creates a feeling of sentiment to the cupboard, much like one feels towards a grandparent, who knows many stories, is a testament to time, is keeping track. From this time onwards he ceased attending school and began to try to establish a career as a writer.

Rimbaud returned to France in 1890, as he had a tumour in his leg, which required amputation.

POETRY ANALYSIS

The two poems below are typical of Rimbaud’s earlier work before his relationship with Verlaine. All of these things are distinctly feminine, which is a contrast with the actual, masculine cupboard. They travelled together from this point and whilst in Belgium, Verlaine, in a drunken anger, shot Rimbaud in the wrist.

Approximate Word count = 2608
Approximate Pages = 10 (250 words per page double spaced)

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