Arthur Rimbaud Biography
French Poet Best Known for Faultless Poetry Technique
French poet Arthur Rimbaud is best known for his prose-poem A Season in Hell (Une Saison en Enfer.) His early poetry Les Illuminations was only published in 1886.
Early Life of Arthur Rimbaud
Jean Nicolas Arthur Rimbaud was born on October 20, 1854 in Charleville, northeast of France, a provincial middle-class area. He was the second child of a career soldier, Frédéric Rimbaud, and his wife Marie-Catherine-Vitalie Cuif.
His father rose from a simple recruit to the rank of captain and spent most part of his army years in foreign service. Captain Rimbaud fought in the Algerian conquest and was awarded the Legion of Honor. When Arthur was six years old, his father, Captain Rimbaud, left to join his regiment in Cambrai and never returned. Arthur, with the other four siblings, was raised by their mother, a strict Catholic.
Talented Poet
He was a brilliant student and had an unhappy childhood. At the age of 16 he ran away to Paris, where he met the older Paul Verlaine, s symbolist poet. Just before his 17th birthday, he published The Drunken Boat. This poem is about a toy boat that he sends on a remarkable journey, an allegory for a spiritual quest, much a parallel in his own life.
Rimbaud and Verlaine
Verlaine and Rimbaud soon began a love affair. Rimbaud tried to break off the relationship, but Verlaine shot and wounded him. Verlaine was imprisoned for attempted murder. The same year Rimbaud's book A Season in Hell was published but it was grossly criticized by critics. Deeply hurt, Rimbaud burned all his manuscripts, gave up writing, and, aged 19, wandered around Europe for several years before traveling to Africa, where he lived as a gun runner, a merchant or possibly a slave dealer. He only returned to France in 1891.
Meanwhile, in 1886, Verlaine, believing Rimbaud to be dead, published his book of poems The Illuminations. This remarkable work contains the best of Rimbaud and reveals his longing for spiritual values in a world concerned with material possessions. It created a sensation and acclaim for Rimbaud. His reputation as a major poet was established. Sadly, by this time he was indifferent to fame, ignoring the public's enthusiasm. He died from cancer at the young age of 37, on November 10, 1891.
Works by Arthur Rimbaud
- The Drunken Boat, 1871
- A Season in Hell, 1873
- The Illuminations, 1886
Sources:
Chambers Biographical Dictionary, edited by Una Mcgovern, Chambers Harrap, Edinburgh, 2002
Illustrated Biographical Dictionary, edited by John Clark, Chancellor Press, London, 1994
Larousse Dictionary of Writers, edited by Rosemary Goring, Larousse, 1994
Arthur Rimbaud, E. Carjat, 1872
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