Arthur Rimbaud

a21devvratsingh
Aug 15, 2022
3 min read

Updated: Nov 7, 2023

Jean Nicolas Arthur Rimbaud was a French poet known for his transgressive and surreal themes and for his influence on modern literature and arts, prefiguring surrealism. Rimbaud is known for his revolutionary approach to poetry, which challenged traditional forms and explored themes of rebellion, love, and spirituality. He rejected conventional rules of poetry and language, opting for a more visionary and symbolist style.

The 4 week studio was divided into 4 parts:

Drawings
Text
Installations
Theatre

The module started with reading some of the poems of Arthur Rimbaud and understanding the meaning behind them through discussions, questioning, etc. After reading some of his poems we were assigned a poem each and had to understand it and collect objects that we associate with in terms of the poem and our understandings.

1. Understanding the poem

Bridges

Crystal gray skies.

An odd pattern of bridges, some straight, some round,

Others cutting in or going off at angles on the others;

These images repeat themselves in the lighted curves of the canal, But all so long and light that the banks, covered with domes,

Seem to lower and shrink.

Some of these bridges are still covered with masonry.

Others hold up masts, signals, fragile parapets.

Minor chords cross and disappear.

Ropes rise from the banks.

I can make out a red jacket, other costumes, and musical instruments. Are these popular songs, bits of lordly concerts,

Remnants of public hymns?

The water is gray and blue, wide as an arm of the sea.

A white light falling from the heights of heaven

Obliterates this scene.

2. Writing a text comprehending the sensory experience from the understandings of the poem.

Mass of people pushing ,shoving and shouting. Hot summer day, the sun poured its heat into the city. The air is different here. Thick with exhaust fumes and the peddler’s of food from trucks that sit in the walkways. The blaring horns are your indicators as to the flow of traffic. The shopkeepers with their sweet tongues trying to entice customers. All small and big businessmen come here from far and wide to purchase or sell their products. The crowd has a life of its own, the vibrant clothes shine in the morning light and the people move like enchanting shoals of fish. There is chatter between sellers and buyers, old friends catching up, new friends made. Varied strides, various gaits, varying heights, weights, and pates; coming and going, hurried and slowing, some stopped to text, some next in line to cross the street, some vexed at waiting, some discreet in keeping space, some face to face, all looking busy, many stressed, some lost in thought, and some depressed. People squeezing through the minuscule gaps trying to find some sort of exit. Groups of people trying to load their produce of the season onto the trucks blocking the already narrow road. Pedestrians shielding themselves from the blazing sun by wrapping a wet handkerchief around their head. Hordes of school students envelop the gola wala. Nearby is a BMC worker picking and sweeping the pavement littered with grubby tissues and half eaten food. Suddenly, there is a wave of hurrying pedestrians, leaping to one side of the pavement. Each person in the crowd moves as if unseeing hands drag them this way and that, pulling their eyes to one thing and then another. The place was surrounded by the essence of body odor and over applied cologne. Beggar sitting on the steps of a small temple stinks of cheap liquor. Hawkers shouting loudly and singing songs in praise of their goods. Aunties howling and haggling the prices of vegetables and asking for free curry leaves. A thirsty traveler gulping oceans of water and trenching his thirst. Dozens of people huddled up in the entrance of a clothing store . Herds of people climbed on top of each other at the counter of each shop yelling wildly. Sweaty buyers skilfully wove their way by locating minute gaps between people and squeezing through. Owners of large tattered wagons decorated with a collage of vegetables stood beside and screamed prices like auctioneers. The sun warmed up the stuffy stinky air which smelled of sweat. A fool was trying to get his car across the market and carelessly honked to the river of people ahead completely ignoring him.