Origins & Early Life

Paul Marie Verlaine ( vair-LEN; French: [pɔl maʁi vɛʁlɛn]; 30 March 1844 – 8 January 1896) was a French poet, writer and critic associated with the Symbolist, Parnassianist and Decadent movements. He is considered one of the paramount exponents of the fin de siècle in French and international poetry. Born in Metz to a petit-bourgeois family, Verlaine bore a lifelong interest in the arts, whether literary, musical or visual. His début collection, Poèmes saturniens (1866), were released at the age of twenty-two; they were published by Alphonse Lemerre.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Verlaine's tempestuous sexual relationship with young poet Arthur Rimbaud (ten years his junior and under eighteen years, and while he himself had a wife and infant son), a fellow member of the Zutistes, aroused great controversy. The couple would peregrinate throughout England and Belgium until their split in 1873, which was caused by him wounding Rimbaud with a revolver. Following trial, Verlaine was sentenced to two years in prison for battery and sodomy. During his sentence, Verlaine reverted to practising Catholicism and composed Sagesse (published 1880), Jadis et naguère (published 1884) and Parallèlement (published 1889). As his...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

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• Anatole France — Contemporary (Born in 1844) (1844): Master French writer, poet, and journalist celebrated for irony and style.
• Bertel Thorvaldsen — Contemporary (Died in 1844) (1844): Master sculptor of Neoclassicism, famed for monumental works across Europe.
• A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada — Contemporary (Born in 1896) (1896): Pioneering global spread of Krishna consciousness teachings and the Hare Krishna mantra.
• Alfonso Caso — Contemporary (Born in 1896) (1896): Pioneering Mexican archaeologist renowned for pre-Columbian studies.
• Alfred Nobel — Contemporary (Died in 1896) (1896): Pioneering chemist, inventor of dynamite, and founder of the Nobel Prizes.
• Albert Pierrepoint — Shared historical date (03-30 · Born) (1905): Prominent English hangman who executed hundreds of people in a 25-year career.
• Beau Brummell — Shared historical date (03-30 · Died) (1840): The quintessential English dandy who defined male fashion during the Regency era.
• Alexander Prokhorov — Shared historical date (01-08 · Died) (2002): Soviet physicist known for fundamental work on optics, leading to the laser and maser.
• Alfred Russel Wallace — Shared historical date (01-08 · Born) (1823): Naturalist and explorer who independently conceived the theory of evolution.
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