A French poet and adventurer who ceased writing verse at 19, he became an inextricable myth in French gay life after his early death. Rimbaud's poetry, partly written in free verse, is defined by its dramatic and imaginative vision, with the poet declaring one must become a visionary. His works stand as some of the most original within the Symbolist movement. His most celebrated poem is an allegory for a spiritual quest, envisioning a vessel's journey.
A phenomenonally precocious schoolboy, Rimbaud was still a teenager when he became notorious as Europe's most shocking and exhilarating poet. This book sets the two sides of Rimbaud side by side with a translation of his exhilarating poetry and a selection of the letters from the harsh and colourful period of his life as a colonial trader.
Presents a new translation and a revised chronology along with a sketch of the poet's life.
Features A Season in Hell, one of the great works of modern literature, and many of the verse poems which Rimbaud wrote between March 1870 and August 1872.
This may be the most beautiful book in the world, lighted from within and somehow embodying all forms of literature. Susan Salter Reynolds, Los Angeles Times
Exploring themes of love, rebellion, and existential despair, this collection features Arthur Rimbaud's "A Season in Hell," a prose poem reflecting on his tumultuous relationship with Paul Verlaine. It includes "The Drunken Boat," a vivid narrative of loss at sea, and "Illuminations," a celebrated series of forty-two prose poems. Rimbaud's innovative style and profound insights have earned him recognition as a pivotal figure in modern symbolism, as noted by Albert Camus. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper and showcases translations by notable scholars.
A reissue of Rimbaud's highly influential work, with a new preface by Patti Smith and the original 1945 New Directions cover design by Alvin lustig.
The prose poems of the great French symbolist Arthur Rimbaud have had a revolutionary influence on the poetry of the 20th century. He wrote most of his work between the ages of 16, and 19, in language of exceptional freshness and immediacy, here admirably captured in Mark Treharne's new translation. Published in a dual-language (French/English) edition.
'The poet makes himself a seer by a long, prodigious, and rational disordering of all the senses. . .' Rimbaud was sixteen when he made this famous declaration. By 1886, then thirty-two and an explorer, trader and slave-trader on the Red Sea, he had absolutely no interest in the fate or success of the poetry infused with mysticism, alchemy and magic that he had written in his teens. That same year, in Paris, Les Illuminations was being published as the work of 'the late' Arthur Rimbaud, first in a Symbolist periodical and then in book form, with an Introduction by his former lover, Verlaine. Seldom has a writer's vision of changing the world through words failed so spectacularly as did Rimbaud's. That failure turned him into an incomparable tragic poet: not only 'a wild undisciplined genius, a mystic philosopher and thinker, an inspired poet' but also, according to Enid Starkie, 'one of the most finished artists . . . a supreme master of prosody and style'. This Penguin Classic reproduces the text of the Pléiade edition, 1954, with selected letters and prose translations that have been highly acclaimed.
Arthur Rimbaud is remembered as much for his volatile personality and tumultuous life as he is for his writings, most of which he produced before the age of eighteen. This book brings together his poetry, prose, and letters, including "The Drunken Boat," "The Orphans' New Year," "After the Flood," and "A Season in Hell," considered by many to be his. 'Complete Works' is divided into eight "seasons" - Childhood, The Open Road, War, The Tormented Heart, The Visionary, The Damned Soul, A Few Belated Cowardices, and The Man with the Wind at His Heels - that reflect the facets of Rimbaud's life. Insightful commentary by translator and editor Paul Schmidt reveals the courage, vision, and imagination of Rimbaud's poetry and sheds light on one of the most enigmatic figures in letters.
Exploring the vibrant and revolutionary work of Arthur Rimbaud, this collection showcases selected poems that capture his innovative style and profound themes. Rimbaud's writing reflects a deep emotional intensity and a quest for freedom, often blurring the lines between reality and imagination. The poems delve into topics such as love, nature, and the human experience, revealing his unique perspective as a young literary genius. This anthology invites readers to experience the raw beauty and transformative power of Rimbaud's poetry.
