'Epiphany, Identity, Celebration: Towards a Definition of the Rimbaldian poème-fête'

Gerald Macklin

'Epiphany, Identity, Celebration: Towards a Definition of the Rimbaldian poème-fête'

Gerald Macklin

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

This article explores the phenomenon of the poème-fête in all areas of Rimbaud's poetry. It adopts a broadly chronological approach to the Rimbaud canon, working from the early verse poems through the experimental verse of the Derniers Vers and on to the prose poetry of Une Saison en enfer and the Illuminations. The argument posits the fête as a key component of Rimbaldian vision and highlights epiphany, identity and celebration as its three defining characteristics. Two early poems selected for analysis, 'Soleil et chair' and 'Bal des pendus', are presented respectively as illustrations of Rimbaud's proclivity for celebration and revelation and of the poet's ironic detachment from any collective identity. This ambivalence is explored further through 'Qu'est-ce pour nous, mon coeur...?' from the Derniers Vers where he oscillates between a collective commitment to revolution and a withdrawal into the isolation of first person identity. The section on Une Saison en enfer examines two specific instances of Rimbaldian celebration, the study concluding with discussion of several poems from the Illuminations which offer various further perspectives on epiphany, identity and celebration. The closing pages speculate on what the poème-fête may tells us about the problematics of solitude and partnership in Rimbaud's work.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	19-31
Journal	Neophilologus
Volume	82
Publication status	Published (in print/issue) - 1998

Bibliographical note

Reference text: S. Murphy Le Premier Rimbaud ou l'apprentissage de la subversion, Editions du CNRS, Presses Universitaires de Lyon,Paris and Lyon, 1990

Rimbaud, Oeuvres édition de S.Bernard et A.Guyaux, Classiques Garnier, Paris, 1987

Y.Bonnefoy Le Nuage rouge, Mercure de France, Paris, 1977

P.Verlaine Oeuvres en prose complètes, Pléiade, Paris, 1972

J-P Richard Poésie et profondeur, Paris, Seuil, 1955

Verlaine Oeuvres poétiques, édition de Jacques Robichez, Classiques Garnier, Paris, 1969

A.Simon Les Signes et les songes: essai sur le théâtre et la fête. Seuil, Paris, 1976

P. Valéry Oeuvres, vol.II, édition de Jean Hytier, Gallimard, Bibliothèque de la Pléiade, Paris, 1960

D. Scott 'Rimbaud and Boucher: 'Fête d'hiver', JOURNAL OF EUROPEAN STUDIES, IX, 1979, pp. 185-195

A. Guyaux Poétique du fragment. Essai sur les Illuminations de Rimbaud, Editions de la Baconnière, Neuchâtel, 1985

R.Char Chants de la balandrane, Gallimard, Paris, 1977

P. Broome 'From Vision to Catastrophe in Rimbaud's Illuminations', FORUM FOR MODERN LANGUAGE STUDIES, vol. 15, no.4, October 1979, pp. 361-379

C Baudelaire, Oeuvres complètes, vol.1, texte établi, présenté et annoté par Claude Pichois, Gallimard, Bibliothèque de la Pléiade, Paris, 1975

Keywords

fête
epiphany
identity
celebration

Cite this

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title = "'Epiphany, Identity, Celebration: Towards a Definition of the Rimbaldian po{\`e}me-f{\^e}te'",

abstract = "This article explores the phenomenon of the po{\`e}me-f{\^e}te in all areas of Rimbaud's poetry. It adopts a broadly chronological approach to the Rimbaud canon, working from the early verse poems through the experimental verse of the Derniers Vers and on to the prose poetry of Une Saison en enfer and the Illuminations. The argument posits the f{\^e}te as a key component of Rimbaldian vision and highlights epiphany, identity and celebration as its three defining characteristics. Two early poems selected for analysis, 'Soleil et chair' and 'Bal des pendus', are presented respectively as illustrations of Rimbaud's proclivity for celebration and revelation and of the poet's ironic detachment from any collective identity. This ambivalence is explored further through 'Qu'est-ce pour nous, mon coeur...?' from the Derniers Vers where he oscillates between a collective commitment to revolution and a withdrawal into the isolation of first person identity. The section on Une Saison en enfer examines two specific instances of Rimbaldian celebration, the study concluding with discussion of several poems from the Illuminations which offer various further perspectives on epiphany, identity and celebration. The closing pages speculate on what the po{\`e}me-f{\^e}te may tells us about the problematics of solitude and partnership in Rimbaud's work.",

keywords = "f{\^e}te, epiphany, identity, celebration",

author = "Gerald Macklin",

note = "Reference text: S. Murphy Le Premier Rimbaud ou l'apprentissage de la subversion, Editions du CNRS, Presses Universitaires de Lyon,Paris and Lyon, 1990 Rimbaud, Oeuvres {\'e}dition de S.Bernard et A.Guyaux, Classiques Garnier, Paris, 1987 Y.Bonnefoy Le Nuage rouge, Mercure de France, Paris, 1977 P.Verlaine Oeuvres en prose compl{\`e}tes, Pl{\'e}iade, Paris, 1972 J-P Richard Po{\'e}sie et profondeur, Paris, Seuil, 1955 Verlaine Oeuvres po{\'e}tiques, {\'e}dition de Jacques Robichez, Classiques Garnier, Paris, 1969 A.Simon Les Signes et les songes: essai sur le th{\'e}{\^a}tre et la f{\^e}te. Seuil, Paris, 1976 P. Val{\'e}ry Oeuvres, vol.II, {\'e}dition de Jean Hytier, Gallimard, Biblioth{\`e}que de la Pl{\'e}iade, Paris, 1960 D. Scott 'Rimbaud and Boucher: 'F{\^e}te d'hiver', JOURNAL OF EUROPEAN STUDIES, IX, 1979, pp. 185-195 A. Guyaux Po{\'e}tique du fragment. Essai sur les Illuminations de Rimbaud, Editions de la Baconni{\`e}re, Neuch{\^a}tel, 1985 R.Char Chants de la balandrane, Gallimard, Paris, 1977 P. Broome 'From Vision to Catastrophe in Rimbaud's Illuminations', FORUM FOR MODERN LANGUAGE STUDIES, vol. 15, no.4, October 1979, pp. 361-379 C Baudelaire, Oeuvres compl{\`e}tes, vol.1, texte {\'e}tabli, pr{\'e}sent{\'e} et annot{\'e} par Claude Pichois, Gallimard, Biblioth{\`e}que de la Pl{\'e}iade, Paris, 1975",

year = "1998",

language = "English",

volume = "82",

pages = "19--31",

journal = "Neophilologus",

issn = "1572-8668",

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PY - 1998

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N2 - This article explores the phenomenon of the poème-fête in all areas of Rimbaud's poetry. It adopts a broadly chronological approach to the Rimbaud canon, working from the early verse poems through the experimental verse of the Derniers Vers and on to the prose poetry of Une Saison en enfer and the Illuminations. The argument posits the fête as a key component of Rimbaldian vision and highlights epiphany, identity and celebration as its three defining characteristics. Two early poems selected for analysis, 'Soleil et chair' and 'Bal des pendus', are presented respectively as illustrations of Rimbaud's proclivity for celebration and revelation and of the poet's ironic detachment from any collective identity. This ambivalence is explored further through 'Qu'est-ce pour nous, mon coeur...?' from the Derniers Vers where he oscillates between a collective commitment to revolution and a withdrawal into the isolation of first person identity. The section on Une Saison en enfer examines two specific instances of Rimbaldian celebration, the study concluding with discussion of several poems from the Illuminations which offer various further perspectives on epiphany, identity and celebration. The closing pages speculate on what the poème-fête may tells us about the problematics of solitude and partnership in Rimbaud's work.

AB - This article explores the phenomenon of the poème-fête in all areas of Rimbaud's poetry. It adopts a broadly chronological approach to the Rimbaud canon, working from the early verse poems through the experimental verse of the Derniers Vers and on to the prose poetry of Une Saison en enfer and the Illuminations. The argument posits the fête as a key component of Rimbaldian vision and highlights epiphany, identity and celebration as its three defining characteristics. Two early poems selected for analysis, 'Soleil et chair' and 'Bal des pendus', are presented respectively as illustrations of Rimbaud's proclivity for celebration and revelation and of the poet's ironic detachment from any collective identity. This ambivalence is explored further through 'Qu'est-ce pour nous, mon coeur...?' from the Derniers Vers where he oscillates between a collective commitment to revolution and a withdrawal into the isolation of first person identity. The section on Une Saison en enfer examines two specific instances of Rimbaldian celebration, the study concluding with discussion of several poems from the Illuminations which offer various further perspectives on epiphany, identity and celebration. The closing pages speculate on what the poème-fête may tells us about the problematics of solitude and partnership in Rimbaud's work.

KW - fête

KW - epiphany

KW - identity

KW - celebration

M3 - Article

SN - 1572-8668

VL - 82

SP - 19

EP - 31

JO - Neophilologus

JF - Neophilologus

ER -

'Epiphany, Identity, Celebration: Towards a Definition of the Rimbaldian poème-fête'

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

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