Perhaps the most worn (and loved) of my books. Pick any Rimbaud you can find if you haven't read any before, preferably in the original French or in Fowlie's English translation. ( )

Schmidt's way of translating these poems is seen by many as controversial, in some ways he almost rewrites poems to make them fit a certain structure. What makes this so special? Rimbaud paid close attention to the structure in his own original poetry, they were considered ingeniously song-like and lyrical by his contemporaries. Schmidt manages to imitate this without changing too much of the content--he merely "swirls" it around, preserving the wit and beauty in Rimbaud's language along with the scatology. Just compare "The Stolen Heart" to any other version. ( )

It is not even necessary to mention that Rimbaud's succinct oeuvre of poetry, all written before the age of 20, had a profound impact on Modern Literature. His poetry is replete with vivid and decadent imagery. These poems, accompanied by a selection of letters, give the reader a startling glimpse into a restless soul. Schmidt's rhythmic and fluid translation only heightens this intimacy. Rimbaud is a poet not to be passed over. ( )

Arthur Rimbaud (1854-1891) was a French poet who experimented with many verse structures at an early age. Always interested in the theme of liberty, Rimbaud’s work challenged the boundaries of traditional poetic expression. Wyatt Mason, the translator of the poet’s work in Rimbaud Complete (2003), wrote a wonderful description of Rimbaud’s style. “And the poems – vessels of indeterminacy, ambiguity and frequently strange beauty – are easily disfigured by a blunt critical blade.” Reading this description, the reader can understand the popularity of the poet’s work with the “Beat” generation and the surrealists. Much of the work translated by Mason is reminiscent of Alan Ginsberg’s beat poem “Howl” and Andre Breton’s surrealist novel, Nadja.

Mason’s translation is an attempt to remain true to the French but also help the reader experience Rimbaud’s images with contemporary English expressions. This process produces art that is very different from other translations of the poet's work. The reader has to be open to free association of images, tangential emotions, and surprising personal reactions. Later, this would be the ‘stuff’ of Kerouac, Kesey, Burroughs, Ginsberg, Breton, Genet and others.

I read the book with frequent surprising flights of fancy that I scribbled in the margins of the book. This is the best way to stay in tune with Rimbaud who I believe meant his work to produce such reader reaction. Of course, he meant the work for the few free spirits who might someday chuck it all and hit the road as he did. Timothy Leary’s infamous line, “Tune in, turn on, drop out” captures the insightful reader’s approach to the work of Arthur Rimbaud. ( )

I love "The Drunken Boat" even more than its namesake Le Bateau Ivre in midtown Manhattan, where I once got drunk with a wealthy African I later discovered was a corrupt member of the Angolan government. I feel bad about it, but I didn't know at the time, and he knew his wine.