Illuminated Verses, by Arthur Rimbaud 🇫🇷✒️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

On the occasion of the 171st anniversary of the birth of Arthur Rimbaud, born on 20/10/1854

Photographic portrait of Arthur Rimbaud at the age of 17

Arthur Rimbaud is one of the greatest French poets of the 19th century. His poetry is famous all over the world and he is also considered a prominent figure in the French romantic movement. Many consider his life and poetry an experiment of debauchery and hedonism that went terribly wrong. Others think that his excesses were simply a reflection of his character; he was naturally prone to excess and had no control over his life. Still others believe that his excesses actually helped develop his poetry, unusual and modern, making him appear harsher and more rebellious to his contemporaries.

A very precocious poet with a very short literary life, Arthur Rimbaud began writing poems as a teenager and stopped writing at the age of 20, completely abandoning his obvious poetic talent. During his period of literary creation he was linked to another French poet, Paul Verlaine, with whom he spent a couple of years in London. Universally recognised as one of the precursors of symbolism and modernist literature Rimbaud is also considered one of the “cursed” poets for his rebellious nature and totally devoted to literature, at least until the decision to abandon it totally for a bourgeois life, mostly lived outside of France and unaware of the literary recognition of his work before his premature death, at the age of 37 for bone cancer.

One aspect to consider when looking at Rimbaud’s life is how much others underestimated him at that time. Although most thought his poems were good enough for publication, no one at first recognised him as a talented or famous poet. According to some, this may have been because everyone underestimated him because of his excessive behaviour or because he had a problematic relationship with his contemporaries. Similar to Rimbaud, even Emily Dickinson, despite being known as a poet who “spoke with every heart that the language has ever possessed since the fall of Adam”, was not able to publish her work until after she had exceeded her 40 years.

Although there may be valid criticism of how much Rimbaud contributed to literature in France, it cannot be denied that he made great strides in the development of French literature during his time. He did so by developing new poetic forms such as the lyric poem (a poem characterised by musicality rather than rigourous metrics) and introducing modern ideas into French poetry such as originality and spontaneity. His ideas about human nature have influenced generations of poets around the world through what became known as the motive of the rebellious and cursed poet.

Detail of a painting by Henri Fantin-Latour, By the Table, representing Arthur Rimbaud as a young man

The themes of his poetics are inspired by a dreamlike and symbolist world, described with an unconventional style and an innovative language, halfway between prose and poetry, which will be a reference for subsequent generations of modern authors. From the words of Rimbaud himself at the age of 16, in a letter to his tutor he defines his path as a poet: “now I’m making myself as disgusting as possible. Why? I want to be a poet and I’m working to become a seer. You won’t understand any of this and I’m almost unable to explain it to you. The idea is to reach the unknown with the imbalance of all the senses. It involves enormous suffering, but you have to be strong and be a born poet. It’s not really my fault.”

Relationships with his contemporary poets

Photographic portrait of Arthur Rimbaud as an adult man

The artistic and personal relationship between Arthur Rimbaud, Paul Verlaine and Germain Nouveau was as intense as it was troubled, deeply influencing the life and works of each one. Rimbaud and Verlaine met in 1871 and started a love affair marked by a strong passion and frequent conflicts. Verlaine, already an established poet, was attracted by Rimbaud’s rebellious energy, but their relationship was stormy, culminating in the famous Brussels episode of 1873, when Verlaine, drunk and violent, shot Rimbaud, slightly injuring him. This event marked the end of their relationship, but their partnership left an indelible mark on the symbolist poetry.

Germain Nouveau, another symbolist poet, met Rimbaud in 1874 and shared a short period of his life in London with him. While the relationship with Verlaine was full of tension, the one with Nouveau was less dramatic but equally significant on an artistic level. The two shared common literary interests and a desire for poetic experimentation, although Nouveau, unlike Rimbaud, maintained a more calm and distant attitude compared to the existential turbulence of his partner.

Both poets, Verlaine and Nouveau, were influenced by Rimbaud’s poetics, characterised by an innovative and radical vision of poetic language. Verlaine, in particular, later celebrated Rimbaud as a “cursed genius” in his collection Poètes maudits (1884). The brief but intense collaboration between these poets marked a fundamental stage in the birth of French symbolism, a movement that revolutionised modern poetry.

Cultural impact in the anglophone world

Arthur Rimbaud’s poetry detonated like a meteor over the landscape of late 19th-century French literature. Writing most of his work before the age of twenty, he dismantled poetic conventions with audacity and visionary fervour. His Illuminations and A Season in Hell gave voice to a radical new sensibility—one that fused mysticism, rebellion, and synaesthetic perception. Among his contemporaries, Rimbaud’s influence was both scandalous and magnetic: Symbolists like Verlaine and Mallarmé admired his linguistic freedom, while others viewed him as a reckless prodigy who had shattered the boundaries of meaning itself.

In the anglophone world, Rimbaud’s afterlife has been extraordinary. Early translations by figures such as Ezra Pound and Wallace Fowlie brought his incandescent voice to modernist readers, while the Beats—Allen Ginsberg above all—hailed him as a prophet of poetic liberation. His life story, marked by rebellion and self-exile, became inseparable from his myth: the poet as outlaw, visionary, and wanderer. From Bob Dylan to Patti Smith, echoes of Rimbaud resound in music, literature, and counterculture. More than a century later, his brief, blazing career continues to challenge notions of authorship and authenticity, reminding us that poetry can still be an act of revolt against the ordinary.

English translations

A selection of poems by Arthur Rimbaud, both from the Illuminations, and from his other less well-known collections, have been published on this blog, in original with translations into English and Italian:

From “Illuminations”:

From “Une saison en enfer”:

From “Reliquaire”

Publication in eBook format

Dive into the enchanting realm of poetic brilliance with this new translation of poems selected from Arthur Rimbaud’s iconic work, “Les Illuminations”. Try the magic of Rimbaud’s visionary writing, now presented in English keeping the original French verses at hand. Immerse yourself in a symphony of words, where the deep beauty of Rimbaud’s thoughts harmonises with the elegance of the English language. This ebook allows you to savour the juxtaposition of the two languages, offering an enriched understanding of the poet’s genius. Don’t miss the opportunity to appreciate this literary treasure that celebrates Rimbaud’s timeless art and its vibrant cultural resonance.

This collection of poems in a bilingual and illustrated edition, curated and translated by Enzo Martinelli, has been published as an eBook by Blue Phoenix Editions on Apple Books, Kobo and is available also from other selected sellers.

Trailer of the movie “Total Eclipse”, featuring Leonardo Di Caprio as the young Arthur Rimbaud

Essential bibliographic references online

Below are top five reliable online references about Arthur Rimbaud, each with a short description and the respective link:

Encyclopaedia Britannica — “Arthur Rimbaud” — Authoritative, concise biography covering Rimbaud’s life, major works (e.g. A Season in Hell, Illuminations), influence on Symbolism and modern poetry, and a clear timeline. Great for quick factual grounding.
Poetry Foundation — “Arthur Rimbaud” — Biographical overview plus selected poems, contextual essays (e.g. on Illuminations) and links to further reading. Useful for reading samples and critical notes aimed at general readers..
Wikipedia — “Arthur Rimbaud” (English) — Comprehensive article: detailed life narrative, works, chronology, bibliography, and cultural legacy. Good for broad orientation and many secondary-source references (check citations there for deeper research)..
Gallica / Bibliothèque nationale de France — Rimbaud: Œuvres et lettres ; Une saison en enfer — Digitized primary texts and editions (manuscripts, printable/downloadable files). Essential when you want authoritative scans/editions in the original French.
Academy of American Poets (Poets.org) — “About Arthur Rimbaud” — Short biography, selected poems/translations, thematic notes and classroom/teaching resources. Handy for pedagogical use and curated poem selections in English..