Arthur Rimbaud

I was quite surprised to see the French poet Arthur Rimbaud classed as a Gothic author in some online sources. In his own right too, and not by way of his influence on Rock musicians such as Jim Morrison, Bob Dylan, Patti Smith, and then, via them, on Goth Music.

I was thinking about Rimbaud for a couple of reasons. Firstly I picked up a copy of A Season in Hell from Black Letter Press. Not sure about the translation to be honest. I don't have enough French to judge it, but they've used quite an old translation and it didn't seem as iconoclastic/scandalous as the poet's reputation would suggest it ought to be. I think it may be if not bowlderised, at least blunted. And I did chance upon a different translation of a section of the work which seemed a lot more...Punky.

The other reason was the discovery that Rimbaud had briefly lived in Reading, in the 1870s. And in a building very near where I worked for many years (when not WFH). Curiously it's also just a couple of minutes' walk from Reading Gaol, where Oscar Wilde, of course, would be incarcerated two decades later. The site where I found this information claims Rimbaud started writing Les Illuminations while in Reading.

In the 1890s, the Huntley and Palmers biscuit factory would have been just about the only structure between the two buildings. By a twist of fate, Wilde had befriended the Palmer family, and had been given a tour of their factory just a couple of years before his imprisonment.

(John Bunyan, I believe, had been briefly incarcerated in the town lock up (on a different site) a couple of centuries earlier. And Jane Austen went to school in the Abbey Gatehouse. All in all it seems the town is not a place friendly to writers!)

Edited: tidied up typos.

Know nothing of Rimbaud. It does strike me, though, that Rimbaud in Reading is a film just waiting to be made ...

I've been reading the Wikipedia page: fascinating and puzzling character! My first thought was that I don't know about the poems but I'd love to have read his autobiography had he written one.

Don't see where Gothic would come into it, though.

I'm really tempted to explore him; though I'm not getting on with the reading I have in hand—shouldn't be taking on any more. For what it's worth, I found a convincing recommendation online for Wyatt Mason's two translations, Rimbeau Complete and I Promise to be Good: The Letters of Arthur Rimbaud.

>3 alaudacorax:

Bit naughty calling Volume 1 Rimbaud Complete when there's another volume for the letters ...

>4 alaudacorax:

... unless they called the letters Rimbaud Complete: Volume 2, which would make a lot more sense.

What in the names of all the gods is the point of Modern Library's website if you have to search Random House's website for information on their books? And how are you supposed to know that anyway without a lot of time-wasting faffing about?

Don't mind me—rhetorical questions—just venting ...

If they'd been capable of organising their websites usefully they would probably have titled those two books more sensibly, so I suppose it all adds up ...

Sorry. Seem to have got into grumpy old man mode this morning. Shall go away and leave you all alone.

it looks like I read Rimbaud Complete in May 2020. Never thought to put it under Gothic Literature though. Have always had him online under French Literature, Poetry, Modernism, Symbolism, etc.

The brief synapse of author for anyone interested:

"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.

Author Biography: Arthur Rimbaud, born in 1854 in Charleville, France, is hailed as the father of Symbolism. His most famous works of poetry include The Drunken Boat and A Season in Hell. He died in 1891.

Paul Schmidt was, in addition to a translator, a playwright, actor, and author of two books of poetry."

I admire Rimbaud's precociousness, though have to admit reading him is bit of a difficult slog for me. Interesting though.

Bauhaus have cited Rimbaud as an influence on them: as well as other writers--- "Outside of music, Bauhaus's influences were often literary and included William S. Burroughs, Brion Gysin, Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, Arthur Rimbaud, Charles Baudelaire, Greek Mythology, Oscar Wilde, and Antonin Artaud. In regard to the influence of the original Bauhaus movement on the band, Murphy stated that "Bauhaus had no influence on Bauhaus (the band) except for being the sound, shape, energetic, and sensory birth name of our group."