Biography of Paul Verlaine, the great and unhappy poet

Verlaine left the deepest trace in poetry, shaking until the unshakable foundations of romanticism and classicism.

The desire for repetitions of consonances, an unusual foreshortening of images of emotional experiences, musical harmony - these are the distinguishing features of Verlen's style.

Verlaine - personality is complex, contradictory, largely incomprehensible to contemporaries. He presented poetry with his own unique style, based on the contrast between musicality and the dissonance of sounds. Just like in his own life. Collections of his poems reveal the sad world of intangible being, the universe of eternally elusive reality.

The biography of Paul Verlaine is full of long periods of lack of money, scandals and unhappiness. All his life he suffered from cruel blows of fate, practically without resistance. His constant companion was alcohol. And, despite the glory and talent, he finally sank and ended his days in terrible poverty.

The youth of Verlaine

Paul-Marie Verlaine was born on March 30, 1844 in Metz. His father, Captain Nicolas Auguste Verlaine, originally from the Belgian Ardennes, served in the local garrison. Paul was the only child of his mother, Eliza-Julie-Joseph-Stephanie Dee.

Ardennes, or rather, a small house in Palisol, where Paul lived with his aunt on his father's side, left a deep imprint on the soul of the poet. Lovely village, surrounded by fields and gloomy forests. Here the poet spent his summer holidays to 18 years. He tenderly wrote in his poems about these lands. He often drew inspiration from the sad landscapes, paints and nature of his attractive homeland.

Further biography of Paul Verlaine takes us to Paris, where his family moved in 1851. Quarter Batinel, where the mostly retired military lived, became his second home.

A brief biography of Paul Verlaine, the beginning of the poetic path

In 1862, Verlaine received a bachelor's degree in Literature. It was during this period that the future poet gets acquainted with the works of Baudelaire, the literary cafes of Paris and the famous "Green Fairy" - absinthe. Verlaine said: "What a fool thought up this witch to call a fairy."

Paul was very quickly tired of studying for a lawyer. He linked his future destiny with poetry: he began to actively attend literary cafes and salons, in particular, the salon of the Marquis de Ricard, who was fascinated by Parnassians. He often met with Lecomte de Lille, who was considered the head of the whole current, with Francois Coppé and others, and with Alphonse Lemer, his future publisher. During this period he published his first poems - the sonnet "Mister Prudhomme", and in 1864 - the collection "Saturnic poems". The poems were released on the funds of the cousin of the author Eliza Moncombl. The book was issued in a circulation of 491 copies. The literary circles met this compilation coolly.

In a short time, the poet lost first his father, then his beloved cousin. Verlaine had a hard time surviving the departure of his dear people and addicted to alcohol.

The marriage of Verlaine

In 1869 he met Matilda Mothe de Fleurville, she became his muse. A collection of "Good Songs" was released. In poetry, the poet naively described the development of his love feelings for a seventeen-year-old girl. The wedding took place on August 11, 1870. The young couple settled on the street of Cardinal Lemoine in house number two, overlooking the Seine, on the fifth and last floor.

In 1871, after the Commune, Verlaine entered the service in the town hall. The couple moved to the apartment of his wife's relatives, to house number 14 on Nykole Street. But in this house, just a few weeks after their crossing, Rimbaud will break in with lightning and will forever ruin the life of the young couple and Verlaine's intent to start a virtuous life.

Paul Verlaine, a brief biography: he and Rimbaud

Verlaine himself invited Rambo to Paris after he met his poems and received a letter from Arthur.

Verlaine and Rimbaud began their riotous life in Paris, full of high-profile stories and creativity. They found inspiration in each other. Friends' revels often ended in scandals. Perhaps, it is from this period that the biography of Paul Verlaine acquires a tragic turn.

Under the influence of Rimbaud and alcohol, Verlaine's behavior became completely immoral. He rudely treated his young wife Matilda, who, after all, fled with her son Georges, born in October 1871.

Verlaine and Rimbaud became friends. Their scandalous love and spiritual connection lasted more than two years. During this time, Verlaine repeatedly tried to return to the family nest, but the attraction to Rambo was winning.

July 10, 1873 there was a dramatic event that forever broke the relationship between the poets. In Brussels, Verlaine, under the influence of alcohol, shot twice at Rambo and wounded his left wrist. Despite the recalled statement of the victim, Paul was imprisoned for two years.

The period from 1871 to 1874 is the most productive in the work of both poets. The talent of one feeds the inspiration of the other, giving birth to new stylistic forms.

Biography of Paul Verlaine after the prison does not tell about anything good. At first his life seemed to take a calm turn. He became a teacher, plunged into religion. But it lasted only two and a half years. Then in his life appeared the beloved disciple Lucien Letinua, because of the attachment to which the poet's renewed drinking-bouts are being fired. He and Lucien are buying a manor in which they live happily, but not for long. Due to financial troubles, Verlaine has to sell this estate, and Lucien dies of typhoid fever. Paul moved to live with his mother, wrote a collection of "Love" in memory of Lucien. Again, he starts up a bustling life, drinks and scandals.

For two months, the poet is again imprisoned for mockery of the mother, after which they move to Paris, where the unhappy woman soon dies, and Verlaine becomes absolutely poor.

In the last 10 years of his life, his work was finally recognized as genius, and the Ministry of National Education appointed him a benefit. However, the biography of Paul Verlaine makes a new turn - Paul has an ulcer on his leg, which the poet can not cure. He wanders from hospital to the hospital, and during breaks he drinks and wanders around the Latin Quarter.

January 8, 1896 Verlaine died of pneumonia. His mourning train was accompanied by thousands of fans, poets, representatives of the Parisian bohemia and close friends.

The poet was buried in the Batignolsky cemetery next to his relatives.

The full biography of Paul Verlaine deserves close attention. He occupies the most important place in the history of French poetry, giving her more freedom and musicality and a huge variety of new sizes and rhymes.