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Paul Verlaine
Originally published in 1914, this biography of the French Symbolist poet Paul Verlaine is both expensive and hard to find in its first edition. Thorley provides an interesting insight into the life and work of Verlaine that is thoroughly recommended for inclusion on the shelf of any poetry lover. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.
106 pages, Paperback
First published July 26, 2010
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September 16, 2021
3.5 stars. This is a biased but evocatively written short account of Verlaine's adult life as well as a brief analysis of his poetry. This book was originally published in 1914, considering the time in which this piece was written will allow us to understand some of Thorley's bigoted observations; for instance, his poor opinion of women is not as subtly expressed as he may have wished for it to be but his opinion was widely shared by men of his time, it was not a controversial view. This is therefore not the main issue I have with this book; but it is the fact that Thorley's admiration for Verlaine's ouvre seems to often impair his objectivity.
In Thorley's eyes Verlaine is always a victim, a victim of his circle, a victim of his spirit, a victim of his ugliness. Thorley goes as far as to hint that Verlaine was a victim of Rimbaud (even though Arthur Rimbaud was only 17 and Verlaine 27 when he p and Verlaine were together whilst Verlaine was already married and had a son). Thorley refers to Rimbaud as 'the satanic Rimbaud' (p.26), and, in Thorley's words, Verlaine '... could not wean himself from his cups and the sinister influence of Rimbaud, a youth who openly held all fixed occupations in abhorrence'.
It has been established that Verlaine was prone to violence, in fact, when after many years of sending Verlaine money his mother decides not to continue supporting him anymore (as he spent the money in alcohol and debauchery), Verlaine goes as far as physically assaulting his loving mother and even threatening her to death with a knife if she continued refusing to give him more money. In Thorley's eyes, though, Verlaine's poor choices and temperament were up to certain point understandable for Verlaine's 'ardent spark of his spirit was like a flame within a lamp wherein alone it can aspire, but which any sudden inlet of the outer air must flutter to extinction'.
Thorley describes Verlaine as ‘so far animal that all the five senses were to him monitors of strange powers often sinister and but seldom benign'.Thorley adds that ‘We must think of him [Verlaine] not as a victim of drink, but as a victim to a nervous sensibility (of a nature quite imponderable to those who are without it), for which drink was the only palliative within his reach or knowledge.' Interestingly, up to certain extend Thorley's statement can be supported by neuroscience.
There is however more in this book than mere recounts of Verlaine’s vicissitudes. Thorley also shares with us his understanding of Verlaine’s art; he establishes that ‘Verlaine’s achievement in poetry and his influence in his own time may be well likened to the effects of Impressionism, even if post-impressionism in painting. He sought to convey and emotional impression…without answering-at least consciously- to the need of interpreting intellectual or moral commentary’ … Later, Thorly eloquently adds that Verlaine ‘absorbed through every pore of his spiritual being whatever of material influence or suggestion the five human senses can draw in; and for the stream of his song, he tapped the cistern of experience’.
Thorly also cite other scholars to provide the reader with a more holistic perspective of Verlaine’s work; by doing so Thorly has sparked my interest in those works. This quote accurately embodies the essence of Verlaine’s ouvre: ‘Reflection in Verlaine is pure waste; it is the speech of the soul and the speech of the eyes that we must listen to in his verse, never the speech of reason’.
There is much more in this book that I would like to share but I shall do that later.
In Thorley's eyes Verlaine is always a victim, a victim of his circle, a victim of his spirit, a victim of his ugliness. Thorley goes as far as to hint that Verlaine was a victim of Rimbaud (even though Arthur Rimbaud was only 17 and Verlaine 27 when he p and Verlaine were together whilst Verlaine was already married and had a son). Thorley refers to Rimbaud as 'the satanic Rimbaud' (p.26), and, in Thorley's words, Verlaine '... could not wean himself from his cups and the sinister influence of Rimbaud, a youth who openly held all fixed occupations in abhorrence'.
It has been established that Verlaine was prone to violence, in fact, when after many years of sending Verlaine money his mother decides not to continue supporting him anymore (as he spent the money in alcohol and debauchery), Verlaine goes as far as physically assaulting his loving mother and even threatening her to death with a knife if she continued refusing to give him more money. In Thorley's eyes, though, Verlaine's poor choices and temperament were up to certain point understandable for Verlaine's 'ardent spark of his spirit was like a flame within a lamp wherein alone it can aspire, but which any sudden inlet of the outer air must flutter to extinction'.
Thorley describes Verlaine as ‘so far animal that all the five senses were to him monitors of strange powers often sinister and but seldom benign'.Thorley adds that ‘We must think of him [Verlaine] not as a victim of drink, but as a victim to a nervous sensibility (of a nature quite imponderable to those who are without it), for which drink was the only palliative within his reach or knowledge.' Interestingly, up to certain extend Thorley's statement can be supported by neuroscience.
There is however more in this book than mere recounts of Verlaine’s vicissitudes. Thorley also shares with us his understanding of Verlaine’s art; he establishes that ‘Verlaine’s achievement in poetry and his influence in his own time may be well likened to the effects of Impressionism, even if post-impressionism in painting. He sought to convey and emotional impression…without answering-at least consciously- to the need of interpreting intellectual or moral commentary’ … Later, Thorly eloquently adds that Verlaine ‘absorbed through every pore of his spiritual being whatever of material influence or suggestion the five human senses can draw in; and for the stream of his song, he tapped the cistern of experience’.
Thorly also cite other scholars to provide the reader with a more holistic perspective of Verlaine’s work; by doing so Thorly has sparked my interest in those works. This quote accurately embodies the essence of Verlaine’s ouvre: ‘Reflection in Verlaine is pure waste; it is the speech of the soul and the speech of the eyes that we must listen to in his verse, never the speech of reason’.
There is much more in this book that I would like to share but I shall do that later.
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