(1854-1891)french poet

The life and work of Arthur Rimbaud has inspired a host of rock artists, most notably Bob Dylan, Jim Morrison and Patti Smith.
He was born in Charleville,a small town close to the Belgian border north east of France.He began writing poetry at an early age, in his mid teens,and all his known work were made before he was 21. His first published poems were written in latin. In 1871, inspired by "theParis Commune", he writes and distributes his "Visionary Letters", describing a new visionary poetry. To reach this aim, a "systematic disordering of all the senses" is necessary. In one of the letters he states that its wrong to say "I think", instead we should say "I am being thaught", a line of thought that ends with his famous "I is Another".

For a short period he had a relationship with the poet Paul Verlaine,wich ended after Verlaine shot him in his wrist. After that, Rimbaud travelled around, mostly by foot, earning a living on whatever work available. At the end he spend time in Northern Africa as a trader and arms dealer. His health detoriated, and he died of tumor in Marseilles.

Rimbaud is among the first truly modern poets, who greatly inspired the Surrealist MovementAmong his most influential work is "Illuminations", "A Season In Hell" and "Drunken Boat. In interviews,Patti Smith frequently mention Rimbaud as a main influence.Among her work where his influence is evident is the records Radio Ethiopia and Easter and in several poems from Babel. Read more about this in the article resurrection.

Suggested readings
Arthur Rimbaud: Collected Poems with parallel french text.Translated by Martin Sorrell. Oxford University Press 2001