Home > Paul Verlaine

Born in Metz, he was educated at a lycée in Paris and then took up a post in the civil service. He began writing poetry at an early age, and was initially influenced by the Parnassien movement and its leader, Charles Leconte de Lisle.

Verlaine's first published collection, Poemes saturniens ( 1867), though criticised by Sainte-Beuve, established him as a poet of promise and originality. Verlaine's private life spills over into his work, beginning with his love for Mathilde Maute, who became his wife. By 1872 he had lost interest in her, and effectively abandoned her and their son, preferring the company of his homosexual lover, the poet Arthur Rimbaud. Verlaine was a heavy drinker, and shot Rimbaud in a jealous rage, fortunately not killing him. As an indirect result of the incident, he was arrested and imprisoned at MonsThis article is about the city in Belgium. For other uses, see Mons (disambiguation). Mons ( Dutch: Bergen is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut, of which it is the capital. On January 1st, 2004 Mons had a total population of 91,185, where he underwent a religious conversion, which again influenced his work. Romances sans paroles was the poetic outcome of this period.

Following his release, Verlaine travelled to EnglandEngland is the largest, the most populous, and the most densely populated of the four " Home Nations" which make up the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK). Occupying the south-eastern portion of the island of Great Britain, England, where he worked for some years as a teacher and worked on another successful collection, Sagesse. He returned to France in 1877Events January 1 Queen Victoria proclaimed Empress of India by the Royal Titles Act, introduced by United Kingdom Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli. January 8 Crazy Horse and his warriors fight their last battle with the United States Cavalry ( Montana) Ja, and, while teaching English at a school in RethelRethel is a commune of northeastern France, in the Ardennes departement of which it is a sous-prefecture''. Miscellaneous Rethel was the birthplace of: Jacques Boucher de Crevecoeur de Perthes ( 1788- 1868), geologist and antiquary Louis Christophe Franco, became infatuated with one of his pupils, Lucien Letinois, who inspired further poems. Verlaine was devastated when the boy died of typhoid fever.

Verlaine's last years witnessed a descent into alcoholism, insanity, and poverty. Yet even in his lifetime, his poetry was recognised as ground-breaking. Perhaps the best-known of Verlaine's poems is Chanson d'automne, largely thanks to its use as a code message for the Allies during the Second World War. Verlaine's poetry was also popular with musicians, such as Gabriel FauréGabriel Urbain Faur ( May 12, 1845 November 4, 1924) was a French composer. Born in Pamiers, Ariege, Midi-Pyrenees, he studied at the Niedermeyer school of religious music in Paris with several of the greats including Camille Saint-Saens. He eventually be, who set several of his poems, including La bonne chanson.

Numerous portraits of Verlaine were left by French artists. Among the most illustrious: Henri Fantin-LatourHenri Fantin-Latour ( January 14, 1836 August 25, 1904) was a French painter and lithographer. Born Henri Jean Theodore Fantin-Latour in Grenoble, Rhone-Alpes, France, he studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris and although he was painting at the tim, Antonio de La GandaraAntonio de La Gandara ( December 16, 1861 June 30, 1917) was a painter, pastellist and draughtsman. He was born in Paris, France, but his father was of Spanish ancestry, born in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, and his mother was from England. La Gandara's talent, Eugène Carrière , Frédéric Cazals , and Thèophile-Alexandre Steinlen .

On his death in 1896, Paul Verlaine was interred in the Cimetière des Batignolles in Paris.