Rimbaud

A riddle of a riddle of the life of the poet Rimbaud

Rimbaud

By

Carlos Lorenzo Estrada 

"Genius is the recovery of childhood at will..."-Rimbaud 

liaise fare

Is how I breathe the air

Indulge upon these appetites 

Wandered flesh; in sweet delights

I'm not defined by generosity 

I lack all meaning in prosody 

There is no reason to my ryhme 

Serendipity is my crime

Author's Note

Allow me to preface this note by saying I am not a writing expert or even an educator. What I say is simply an opinion based on my own preference and bias of art. I apologize if any should find these thoughts offensive. I was recently challenged by my muse Cate to read the works of one Arthur Rimbaud a French poet. I had heard his name before from some of the writers I admire, so I figured what the hell I'll give it a try. It wasn't an easy assignment at all. He definitely is an acquired taste. Rimbaud to me captures the exuberance of youth unfiltered and uncompromised. Living life in the moment without a care in the world. I struggled to make sense of his work because I came from the perspective of an adult who is responsible and civil. I had forgotten what is was like being a child and the experience of feeling invulnerable and immortal. He is often credited as one of the forefathers of free form poetry. His unique style often feels decadent for his time, rebellious, and libertine. It is an undeniable mastery of words in rambunctious nature. Simply put...Rimbaud. feel free to leave thoughts or comments. Thank you

Reviews

[jacob erin-cilberto]

He was such an evil genius...a bad man who wrote some beautiful poetry.
I heard on his deathbed he finally admitted that he regretted how he was in life.
Separating the artist from his or her work is almost a necessity at times.
really good photo of him here with your words.
j.

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

I totally agree J. Reading several bios on the boy poet gave me a better understanding and appreciation for him. Reading his art without the context of knowing his life I feel takes away a bit of understanding on how his craft developed and why it reads the way it does. Especially much of the subject matter. To me he represents wild uncaring selfish youth. A bit of an evil Peter Pan and cynical Holden Caulfield combined. The indifference to being the cause of his lover Paul Verlaines marriage destruction spoke volumes of his general attitude. Also being raised by a tyrannical over bearing mother didn't do him any favors either. He simply did what most youthful children do at that age; he rebelled. I actually emphasize a bit with him though his behavior was a bit over the top. Despite him dying in his mid 30's I wondered what art he could have produced had he continued his writing. In perhaps a more mature voice tempered by life. I feel sadly this was something he never wanted of himself but instead to be remembered forever young and graced with genius. Thank you my friend for sharing your thoughts on this remarkable artist Rimbaud.

[Cyprian Van Dyke]

The poem was interesting after knowing the context reading the description and note, but I am still half a sleep lol. But again I enjoyed your note a lot in how you speak of your muse as a inner real voice, which I remember from another poem that you wrote and its note. Enjoyed tye read. Tyfs

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Thank you Cyprian for your thoughts on this poem. Rimbaud is not an easy read because some of the subject matter is questionable with misogyny and addiction permeating in some of his work. Considering how young he was and where he lived one can get a better perspective on his art. He did live a bit of a wild lifestyle due to his immaturity. I feel I have a better appreciation for his artistry and genius knowing his background as I read his work. Thank you again my friend.

[mattavelli]

Hello, Carlos! :)
I read rimbaud's illuminations a long time ago. He seemed regretful and disaffected. Most people can relate to that a bit. I found him a bit much. Haha
This is a lovely poem. It reads like cotton candy, something sweet seemingly spun up out of nothing. Thanks for sharing.

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Thank you Matt for the kind comment. I can't even fathom the fact he stopped writing poetry at age 20. That the masterful works we do have are but a sliver of his life. And represents his youth. Perhaps he could no longer do what he was quoted to have said in the introduction of this poem. I do agree though that he is an acquired taste. I had actually debated whether to go into more detail about his bawdy wild life which would have made this a much more mature write. But alas you know me too well my friend. I'm all about the contrite sweet fluff I tend to produce. I honestly believe though if I were back in in my youth I would no doubt be submitting more adult leaning content detailed and unvarnished. And probably very horrible instead of passable. Haha. I hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday Matt. Thank you again.

[mattavelli]

My pleasure, Carlos, happy holidays!

[William Michael Reeves]

When the rhyme is fine we create serendipity. For that crime there is a steep fine, I believe you call it prosody. And if the reader can think and while reading not even blink, you may have created poetic larceny.

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

To imagine this young man redefined poetry at such a young age and that by age 20 he never wrote another poem again. That in itself is a crime. I can't even begin to fathom the sublime art unwritten by this artist. It leaves me envious and in disbelief. Perhaps he had lost the ability to "Genius is the recovery of childhood at will". And because of that realization lost the voice to inspire further. We will never know and can only imagine the possibilities from his masterpieces left behind. Thank you so much for your poetic comment William. I truly appreciate it my friend.

[William Michael Reeves]

I read some Rimbaud and couldn't help think something gets lost in the translation. Honestly, I found his story more interesting than his poetry. It would be interesting to know the language. And I wonder what our poetry would sound like in another language?