Arthur Rimbaud (1854-1891): Influence or Inspiration?

Arthur Rimbaud (1854-1891): The Father Of Surrealist Writing;

Rimbaud began writing poetry and winning poetry competitions
at the tender age of 11 and by the age of 19 he stopped writing poetry
forever, leaving behind a legacy of writing that challenged the academic
poetry world’s rules for writing, which brought him much harsh criticism.


His two most famous books: “A Season In Hell” and “Illuminations”,
were not brought to the public until about 40 years after he wrote them.

Rimbaud died at the young age of 37.


Rimbaud: How Has He Inspired Or Influenced You As A Poet?

And Do You Have A Favorite Rimbaud Line Or Paragraph?



“I shed more tears than God could ever ask” — Rimbaud.

Last edited by dahlusion 03-26-2010 at 03:20:22 PM

RE: Arthur Rimbaud (1854-1891): Influence or Inspiration?

RE: RE: Arthur Rimbaud (1854-1891): Influence or Inspiration?

RE: Arthur Rimbaud (1854-1891): Influence or Inspiration?

Like I stated: His two most famous books are : “A Season In Hell” and “Illuminations”.

Keep in mind, these were written by a teenager in the 1870's

RE: Arthur Rimbaud (1854-1891): Influence or Inspiration?

I did an internet search and found the poems of Arthur Rimbaud, and note he is called the angry-child poet --- his pictures depict a harsh youth, and it shows.

I began to read his first work listed, The Orphan's New Year's Gift and it was extremely well-written, as if fluent poetry, without messy rhymes. I turned mist-brained, reading the ending; for he is an extraordinary writer, with nice descriptions of every detail.... as I climbed into the night of the abandoned child with the present for missing mother... so poignant, bitter, cruel, loving.

I also note another picture of A.Rimbaud as older... and he exhibits a smugness of survival, that the dark did not win.

Thank you, I will continue to read his poetry ... I think his work is a wonderful teacher of word use.

RE: Arthur Rimbaud (1854-1891): Influence or Inspiration?

Yes, he was an angry boy: his father abandoned his family and Christianity was being forced down his throat, and his writing is brilliant considering the time and place that it was happening: Paris, the 1870's, when romantic, rhyming poetry ruled and no other type of writing was accepted. He was a seer, a mystic, a master in his time.

RE: Arthur Rimbaud & Catholic SexAbuse

Reader... my intent is Not to disrespect the Catholic religion, of which I know very little... and I More Than Welcome feedback and comments, so that I may learn.



dahlusion, you have asked if Arthur Rimbaud has inspired or influenced...



I have read more of Arthur Rimbaud's poems and continue to see into the tormented languishing of one so brilliant and young; and in summary at the beginning, I'd say that he has inspired the artiste` and influenced the volcano within me.




My childhood was so strictly regimented, that I was removed from ALL public schoolroom days wherein the body and health was discussed. We did not go to doctors, and did not use drugs, medical or street... and we were not allowed to go to Catholic Anything. I do not know, from where the staunch and bold avoidance of Catholicism came, but my mother did not tolerate any of their views in my bubble, not to be confused with Bible....


and let me state here and now, I Love My Creator God, whom I call Life, and I appreciate the principles of goodness that the Catholic religion attempts to bring to the masses...and I am separating the principles of good behavior, from the behavior of the ambassadors (priests, cardinals, bad representatives) of the religion.




And I am Not happy to hear that the Hierarchy of the Catholic Church did =knowingly= tolerate the mental and sexual abuse of thousands of little boys, (some girls) and did destroy more lives than that... and they did this while wearing a Big Gold Hat.




So Here then is the Inspiration... to Speak Out... for I notice that the Catholic church is disgustingly quiet as of recent day... in Zero response to their immoral behavior of allowing Rampant child sexual abuse, and I do not feel that Arthur Rimbaud's bad boy face came from Latin teachings, although I think it might be traced by hound dog, right up to the door of the Latin speaker.




And I am offended by the Father white-collared, that was presented to little boy believers as Holy, riddled with lies, their vulgarity, their disgusting abuse of ALL things sacred and I am sad that they did so with donated money and calloused acceptance, thinking... here's a dollar, go away... we took Father?Touch to a new post, far away, sorry about the little children who should have been left alone to have a childhood within which they may play, instead of a hell wherein they THINK they must pay because they made the agreement to feel good behind closed doors one very young day.




To me, it is not enough that they have acknowledged this horror of behavior. I feel that the Catholic Church should be studying the "why"... the absolute Rampant WHY "child lust" runs amuck in So Many of those who "wear the robe of God"... and WHY it was keep secret, and tolerated.




Also, I have heard of the Catholic cruelties of the frustrated females wearing long depressing black nightmares, like funeral veils over their days, slightly foreboding to me... but there have also been kindly 'sisters for Jesus' who truly dedicate their time and efforts with unselfish hearts.... Just as I know there are good and decent and giving Catholic priests, for not all were bad... but there were so many like fungi in humanity's cultivated tree.




... and I don't think Arthur Rimbaud was to have had a favorable experience with the Goodly Sisters or their Happy Choice belief system... perhaps they were cruel to him... or he may have been abused in the typical catholic sexual manner... he was a pretty little boy, maybe very tempting to one of those priests?... and having read more of Arthur Rimbaud's works, I note his later, and temporary homosexual relationship... so again, I am thinking that there may have been childhood sexual experiences that were not Religiously pleasant to him, that contributed to his pained, disgruntled look so early in his youth.




And as I follow the pictures and biography of Arthur Rimbaud, and match them to his poems, I am able to see how desperately, in the beginning, he was begging for his mother's love, feeling abandoned for 2 years in a ghastly priestly environment (to him).... His next poem is entitled Sensation, which seems to depict a boy who relates to being happy as a woman... further evidence that he was treated as a female? by a priest? or perhaps he was witness to priest abuse?




His intense anger and uncontrolled lamenting for a purer time begins to show through in his 3rd poem, as he seemed overly focused on a failure to live up to the standards expected of him, begging Venus to show her real self, as the great Mother-Giver, not as the fall of France, but as his savior from the other. His "other" begins to show up as damnation and unreconciled religious principles ?





To me, there would be no win, if he was set up to lose at the gate... as one who obeys God's laws, and may go to heaven..
But I can imagine those who listened to their priest (who was God's own representative), and did the pleasure deed; and as a good Catholic boy, perhaps as with Arthur Rimbaud... couldn't figure out how Catholic law-breaking sin with the priest qualified anyone for heaven w/God... and Arthur Rimbaud (either perhaps watching or indulging), began to spiral down into feelings of damnation and sorrow and cynical tongue to the ones who cast him in the religious dilemma.




I wasn't there, of course, and have only presented a view, based upon the facts of his life and poems.
and In Conclusion, the Influence of Arthur Rimbaud, a soulful cherub, has
1. caused me to look closely at the supposed holy teachers, who taught sex abuse... and
2. allowed me to look with scrutiny, at every single word I use within my poetry, and as if to emulate the exaggerated and swollen, running bloody veins within Arthur Rimbaud's head gear, feeding his fertile fields.... I push to find the Devout Flavored Extremes that he managed to feel, taste and describe as if he were buttering toast...
and Thank you, for providing the link of inspiration w/ Arthur Rimbaud's poetic works of the his best views w/agony.