Monday, September 3, 2012

French List: Le Bateau Ivre

The important stuff: This very long poem was written in 1871 by a 16 year old Arthur Rimbaud (translated as "The Drunken Boat")
What it's about in a nutshell: At first read, it seems like a poem about a boat on the ocean during a storm.  If you look more closely though, it's can also be interpreted as a symbolic poem about the author.
Why you should read it: It is insane that Rimbaud wrote this poem when he was just 16.  The writing is stunning-the drunken boat is on the ocean during a storm, and it definitely captures that feeling.  The drunken boat can also be seen as a person, maybe Rimbaud himself, and the rough waters seen as the ups and downs of life.
*painting of le bateau ivre by Jean-Pierre Chaffrey
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4 comments:

  1. JeanieSeptember 5, 2012 at 3:32 PM

    You know, I keep reading/hearing about Rimbaud. But I've never actually read one of his poems till now. You're right -- 16? Staggering.

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    1. KellyOctober 5, 2012 at 7:14 PM

      I highly recommend him :) He's my favorite poet. I prefer reading him in French because I think something is always lost in translation, but I know there are some great translations of his work out there as well.

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  2. AnonymousOctober 5, 2012 at 11:37 AM

    Indeed it is astonishing that he wrote this poem at the age of 16! But better to simply admire and not to envy ...

    Ce poème pourrait aussi être lu comme une exclamation des sentiments "anarchiques," qui ont menés au Paris Commune de 1871. Dans cette manière, le dernier strophe souligne sa rejette finale des valeurs conservatives.

    Mais je crois que ce qui donne la vrai puissance, c'est la mulitiplicité des interprétations... pour moi, j'apprécie le plus comment le poème est une symbole pour la vie de l'artiste :)

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    1. KellyOctober 5, 2012 at 7:13 PM

      Je suis d'accord avec vous :) J'adore qu'il y a beaucoup d'interpretations du poeme. C'est jamais ennuyeux.

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