Rimbaud and London
In 1873 Arthur Rimbaud wrote and
published an extended poem in prose called A Season in Hell. He finished
writing it after having spent time living in London, where he had a complicated
homosexual love affair with fellow French poet Paul Verlaine. His time living
in London was influential in his work because he was able to observe himself
through the eyes of Verlaine, leading to a process of self-analysis rather than
simply adopting an autobiographical style.
In the 1870’s certain areas of
London became synonymous with debauchery and poverty which was exposed in
Rimbaud’s writing style. It is here that he first encountered heavy alcoholism
through gin and beer as well as drugs such as opium. This had an effect on his
poetry in both the tone and the narrative comprehensibility. It was often
difficult to understand what he was writing, even when one is sober. Rimbaud
spoke of the derangement of the senses in order to truly find oneself and
London was a place that easily facilitated these desires. He lived in Camden
Town which was one of the poorer areas of the city with a low quality of life
and he and Verlaine often struggled financially while living there. It is here
that he started his ‘programme’ to escape from ordinary life, experiencing
extreme degradation, starvation and exhaustion.
The section titled ‘Infernal
Bridegroom’ in A Season in Hell is a clear allegorical reference to his
relationship with Verlaine who was the ‘foolish virgin’. The auto biographer
Robb has placed great emphasis on Rimbaud’s rented London room and the private
space[1] that
allowed them to explore a homosexual relationship that was otherwise illegal in
the public space. It allowed them to live a ‘double life’ and assume a form of
‘double identity’ that was possible in London. They had an intense and volatile
relationship as documented in the section and the private sphere allowed them
to express the violent and sexual nature of their relationship which was
further amplified because they were living together in a small and enclosed space.
Verlaine and Rimbaud were described as engaging in private activities such as
attempting to stab each other with knives[2] as a
form of release from the frustration of their own lives. London gave them the
freedom to be able to do these kinds of activities as well as maintaining their
own privacy.
A Season in Hell transformed
London into a place that defied social norms. It was a place that revealed in
debauchery even though in the 19th Century it was becoming a city of
central importance. However, much of his view of London is limited by his own
personal experiences and is therefore subjective which suggests there is a
limitation on the extent that his poetry was able to transform London for the
readers. His poetry did not necessarily reflect the popular trends in the city
because there was a limit on the aspects that had an effect on him.
Bibliography:
Robb, Graham, ‘Rimbaud, Verlaine,
and Their Season in Hell’, New England Review (1990), 21. 4, 7.
[1]
Graham Robb, ‘Rimbaud, Verlaine, and Their Season in Hell’, New England
Review (1990), 21. 4, 7-20 (p. 9).
[2]
Ibid, P.9.
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