The Seekers of Lice by the French poet Arthur Rimbaud is a reflection on an untroubled moment in the poet’s consistently troubled life. The poem depicts a sweet narrative of a young boy, with perturbing overtones and imagery that paint the true mental state of the child. These parallels provide for a vivid and imaginative poem that allows for multiple interpretations that are just as fascinating. As a result of the author’s tip-toeing between the use of disturbing and soothing sensory images, I was endeered by this poem and have found it to continuously provide new topics and details for analysis.
Arthur Rimbaud was born in Charleville, France, on October 20, 1854. He was raised by an authoritarian mother who would often punish and discipline …show more content…
The majority of peers whom I surveyed about this poem claimed it made them uncomfortable. When asked why, they described how the details of the sisters’ long fingernails, and the death of the lice, grossed them out and made them feel as though the boy was being harmed or disturbed in some manner. Rimbaud’s use of this imagery may stem from his disturbed childhood and life in general.
However, upon further analysis, a simpler and much more pleasant scene can be discovered. Consequently, euphonious words such as “rosy plant honey” and “delirium” are used to detail the euphoric atmosphere. These melodious phrases are more commonly associated with visual and olfactory senses, whereas the poem’s unpleasant phrases use auditory and physical touch imagery.
Words such “delirium” provide a contrast in the tone of the poem. The sound of the word is euphonious, but its meaning changes the way it can be viewed. According to Merriam-Webster, delirium is defined by “an acute mental disturbance characterized by confused thinking and disrupted attention.” When juxtaposed with Rimbaud’s earlier use of “indolence,” meaning “inclination to laziness” (Merriam-Webster) in the poem, the two words clash, providing a surreal, dreamlike
Arthur Rimbaud was born in Charleville, France, on October 20, 1854. He was raised by an authoritarian mother who would often punish and discipline …show more content…
The majority of peers whom I surveyed about this poem claimed it made them uncomfortable. When asked why, they described how the details of the sisters’ long fingernails, and the death of the lice, grossed them out and made them feel as though the boy was being harmed or disturbed in some manner. Rimbaud’s use of this imagery may stem from his disturbed childhood and life in general.
However, upon further analysis, a simpler and much more pleasant scene can be discovered. Consequently, euphonious words such as “rosy plant honey” and “delirium” are used to detail the euphoric atmosphere. These melodious phrases are more commonly associated with visual and olfactory senses, whereas the poem’s unpleasant phrases use auditory and physical touch imagery.
Words such “delirium” provide a contrast in the tone of the poem. The sound of the word is euphonious, but its meaning changes the way it can be viewed. According to Merriam-Webster, delirium is defined by “an acute mental disturbance characterized by confused thinking and disrupted attention.” When juxtaposed with Rimbaud’s earlier use of “indolence,” meaning “inclination to laziness” (Merriam-Webster) in the poem, the two words clash, providing a surreal, dreamlike