Hegel years of life and death. Inspiring Works of Hegel's Philosophy

Pol, Alexander Nikolaevich

Archaeologist, writer, public figure Novorossiysk region, b. 20th August 1832, d. July 26, 1890 in Ekaterinoslav. Grandfather A.N., Ivan Ivanovich von Pohl, German, Swedish subject, b. on o. Ezele. Under Empress Catherine II, he entered the Russian military service and participated in the second Turkish War, at the end of which he was awarded (1791), for distinction in battles, a significant plot of land in the current Verkhnedneprovsky district, Yekaterinoslav province, near the Mokra Sura river. His son (from his marriage to Malama), Nikolai Ivanovich, was married to the daughter of the landowner Poletika, the granddaughter of the Little Russian Hetman Pavel Polubotok, and from this marriage A.H. Pol was born. He studied at the Poltava gymnasium, where he was influenced famous writers Borovikovsky and Metlinsky, and then entered (in 1850) the University of Dorpat, where he graduated from the course in 1854, with a candidate’s degree, returned to his estate and took up farming. Consisting according to female line, related to Polubotki and constantly hearing stories about former glorious times, P. from an early age became interested in the past of the Cossacks and, while still a boy, looked everywhere for various items antiquity. After the death of his father, P. devoted himself to studying history, archeology and archaeological excursions. During these studies, he came across indications of the presence of roofing slate (asp), mineral paints, coal, iron ores and other mineral wealth in the vicinity of Krivoy Rog. The indication was checked by P., and he actually found ore deposits; in order to determine its merit, he, not trusting his own knowledge, took several samples of ore and went to Paris to one famous professor of mineralogy, who, after making an analysis, found that the pieces brought were samples of the most excellent iron ore, very rare in Europe. Then, in order to make sure how large the ore deposits are and in what directions its veins go, P. invited this professor to go with him to Russia, and then he became convinced of the enormous riches of the region; Dubovaya Balka turned out to be especially rich, which P. soon bought into ownership, and acquired a 99-year lease on the Krivoy Rog mine deposits. Not having the capital to develop ore deposits and not finding anyone in Russia willing to devote their funds to this matter, P. formed a company of French capitalists, followed by the Belgian, and then the company of the Englishman Hughes; thus the matter was put on the proper path. Having discovered the ore, P. soon discovered magnificent, thin, delicate and elastic mountain flax; then dry layers of multi-colored paints along the banks of the Saksagani River, asp and, finally, large garnet rocks. Soon they laid the foundation for the Kamensk and Bryansk iron foundries and ironworks; further he called to life many branches of handicraft industry; connected Ekaterinoslav with the Lozovo-Sevastopol and Kharkov-Nikolaev railways.

In addition to these main achievements, P. did a lot in other fields of social activity. In 1858, when, by the will of Alexander II, noble committees were convened in the provinces to discuss the issue of emancipating the peasants, P. was elected a member from the Verkhnedneprovsky district; here he defended his humane opinions and views, imbued with knowledge of peasant life, with talent, energy and persuasiveness. As a member of the local noble committee, outstanding in his abilities, P., upon its closure, was summoned to St. Petersburg among two deputies from the Ekaterinoslav province. to participate in the editorial commissions on peasant affairs and remained there until the final draft of the Regulations was drawn up, and in 1861, upon the promulgation of the Regulations on February 19, he was elected a member of the Yekaterinoslav Provincial Peasant Affairs Presence. From 1866 to 1883, P. was a district member (from the Verkhnedneprovsky district) and a provincial councilor in the zemstvo assembly of the Ekaterinoslav province; in 1869 he was elected honorary justice of the peace of the Verkhnedneprovsky district and, at the end of the same year, chairman of the Verkhnedneprovsky World Congress. P. served as an honorary justice of the peace, with minor intervals, until his death. He devoted a lot of work and concern to the issue of organizing schools and developing education in his homeland. In 1866-1872. he was a member of the Ekaterinoslav Provincial School Council; from 1871 until the end of his life he was a member of the Board of Trustees of the Ekaterinoslav Mariinsky Women's Gymnasium and in 1883 he was appointed an honorary trustee of the Ekaterinoslav Real School. For 20 years, P. was a full member of the Odessa Society of History and Antiquities, took part in archaeological congresses; was in constant contact with the Imperial Archaeological Commission and himself carried out numerous burial mound excavations.

For his services, P. was awarded many orders (in 1882, the Order of St. Stanislav, 2nd degree); further, three years before his death, the provincial zemstvo assembly presented him with an address in which, listing everything he had done for the region, they thanked him on behalf of their constituents; he was elected an honorary citizen of Yekaterinoslav, and his name was carved on an honorary marble plaque in the Duma hall; At a meeting in 1889, the provincial nobility decided to hang a full-length portrait of P. in the hall of the nobility (in the Potemkin Palace) and establish scholarships named after him at the St. Petersburg Mining Institute and at the Ekaterinoslav Real School; in celebration of its 50th anniversary, Odesskoe Imperial Society history and antiquities (November 14, 1889) honored P. with special attention, and a member of the Society, mining engineer Dolinsky, gave a deeply felt speech in which he outlined P.’s works in archeology, metallurgy and the development of the region’s railways.

P. also worked usefully to collect various kinds of archaeological monuments and remnants of antiquity of the southern region. Having been collecting antiquities for 13 years, he compiled a rich collection, valued at up to 200,000 rubles (a description of this collection is in the “Ekaterinoslav Provincial Gazette” of 1887 and in the “Catalog” of K. Melnik). P. was the owner of a beautiful historical library, precious manuscripts, maps, plans. Not long before his death, P., in need of money, tried to sell his collection in Russia, to one of the state collections of antiquities, but his efforts did not lead to anything and then he turned to England; three months before his death, he received an offer from there to sell the entire collection of antiquities, except for the Zaporozhye department, for $200,000. Death prevented him from giving an answer, and P.'s collections passed to his heirs. In terms of their composition, P.'s collections included: antiquities of the Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages; Scythian and Zaporozhye antiquities; glass and ceramic products; more more weapons, precious vases, cups; Especially valuable were the golden things of the Scythian period, the most magnificent and exquisite work of Greek craftsmen, mainly of the 4th century BC. Christ., the time of Pericles, the period of full flowering of Greek art. After P.’s death, these collections were intended, by decree of the Highest approved guardianship office for the affairs and property of A. N. Pol, by agreement with the heirs of the deceased, for sale.

Peru P. owns the articles: “Mishurin Horn” (“Notes of the Odessa Society of History and Antiquities”, vol. VIII, 1872, pp. 434-438) and “Archaeological searches in the Ekaterinoslav province” (ibid., pp. 439-442 ).

At an emergency meeting of the Ekaterinoslav city council on July 27, 1890, on the occasion of P.’s death, the city mayor, among other issues, proposed, “in view of the merits for the Novorossiysk region and in particular for Ekaterinoslav, to perpetuate the memory of P. by erecting a monument in Ekaterinoslav , for which subject should I allocate 2,000 rubles from the city funds for the first time and open a voluntary subscription with the City Government"; this proposal was unanimously adopted. Soon after P.'s death, the French Krivoy Rog company erected a marble monument to him on the very site of its mines in Krivoy Rog. There is now a Museum named after Paul at the Ekaterinoslav Scientific Society.

"Notes of the Imperial Odessa Society of History and Antiquities", vol. XVI, Odessa 1893, department III, p. 2; "Ekaterinoslav Provincial Gazette" 1890, No. 59, part . informal; Obituaries of I. Shmakov and D. I. Evarnitsky - No. 60, part unofficial; "Speech of Priest Vasily Razumov - No. 61, unofficial part, article by L. Z. Veselovsky; "Odessa News" 1890, No. 1676; "Novorossiysk and Telegraph" 1890, No. 4841 and 4843; "Historical Bulletin" 1890, vol. 42, pp. 275-276, obituary 794-798, article by D. I. Evarnitsky; "Catalogue of the collection of antiquities of A. N. Pol, in Ekaterinoslav", Vol. I, compiled by K. Melnik, Kyiv, 1893; A. Hasselblatt und Dr. E. Otto. "Album Academicum der Kaiserlichen Universität Dorpat". Dorpat. 1889

Iv. Davidovich.

(Polovtsov)

Pol, Alexander Nikolaevich

Public figure and archaeologist (1830-1890). A native of Ekaterinoslav province, a graduate of Dorpat University, P. collected collections of antiquities of the Novorossiysk region, which formed a very significant archaeological museum (see its description in the Ekaterinoslav Province Gazette for 1887 and the Catalog compiled by Mrs. K. Melnik ; Kyiv, 1893). Review of the papers of the book. Potemkin pointed out to Paul the presence of roofing slate, mineral paints, coal, iron ores, etc. in the vicinity of Krivoy Rog. He discovered rich iron ores, requested railway in Ekaterinoslav, laid the foundation for the establishment of private iron and metallurgical plants, began the development of slate scraps, and brought to life many branches of handicraft activity. In addition, P. worked a lot in local noble committees on the peasant issue and was summoned to St. Petersburg. to participate in editorial commissions; After the liberation of the peasants, he was a member of the Yekaterinoslav Provincial Peasant Affairs Presence. Wrote several archaeological articles in the "Notes of the Society of History and Others." and brochures and notes on mining. See P.'s obituaries in the "Historical Bulletin" (1890, No. 10), in the "Notes of the Odessa Society of History and Ancient Russia." (vol. XVI) and in the “Ekaterinoslav Provincial Gazette” (1890, No. 59 and 61).

(Brockhaus)

Large biographical encyclopedia. 2009 .

Paul Verlaine (French Paul Marie Verlaine, 1844-1896) is one of the founders of symbolism in French and world poetry. A bright personality in the history of poetry. Certainly one of the greatest French-language poets of all time.

Verlaine is one of the representatives of the decadent school, born. in 1844 in Metz. In his first poems, published in "Parnasse contemporain", just as in his first collection of poems - "Les poèmes saturniens", Verlaine does not reveal anything original, but with his affected equanimity and coldness, admiration exclusively for the ideal of pure beauty, he adjoins Parnassian school.

Loving is the only meaning of life. And the meaning of meanings, the meaning of happiness.

Verlaine Paul

The poet discards this feigned calmness in his “Romances sans paroles,” the motives of which are a special spiritual mood that has taken possession of a person who has lost faith in old ideals and is passionately seeking new paths and a way out of the oppressive atmosphere of vulgarity; hence the search for something unnatural and supernatural, the thirst for a “beautiful death” and similar refined painful sensations. Introducing uncertainty, vagueness, and ambiguity of mood into his poems, Verlaine tries to find new metrical forms for its expression; he neglects the metrics of the classics and romantics, varying at the same time all kinds of meters, looking for special rare rhyme combinations, or completely abandons rhyme, replacing it with the harmony of the constituent parts of the verse, elusive to the ordinary ear.

After several years of silence, the poet’s soul, weary of unbelief, apparently finds solace in ardent Catholicism, and the collection “La Sagesse” (1880) reflects this new mood. In addition to the above-mentioned works, Verlaine also published “Les fêtes galantes” (1869); "La bonne chanson" (1870): "Jadis et Naguère" (1885); "Amour" (1888); "Bonheur" and "Parallèlement" (1890).

In his critical In the essay “Les poètes maudits,” Verlaine attempts to characterize the newest school of symbolist poets (aka decadents) and elevates his comrades Rimbaud, Corbière and Mallarmée to geniuses, whose works, however, are completely inaccessible to the understanding of the ordinary reader. Among this strange poetry of the decadents, which grew out of affected nervousness and real spiritual instability, some of V.’s poems cannot be denied sincerity of feeling, and he himself cannot be denied poetic sensitivity. “The soul of this sick, wild child,” Jules Lemaître said about him, “often hears music inaccessible to anyone else.”

We are familiar with Verlaine's poems from translations of our classics: Bryusov, Sologub, Ellis, Annensky, and Ariadne Efron. Talented contemporaries also translated from Verlaine: for example, Georgy Shengeli.

As a person, Verlaine is also very extraordinary. It's no joke: one day, admiring the poems sent by seventeen-year-old Arthur Rimbaud, he sent the young man money for a ticket to Paris. This began one of the most notorious scandals of the nineteenth century. Rimbaud in Paris lived on the money of wealthy men and led a rather frivolous lifestyle.

Verlaine left a deep imprint on poetry, shaking the hitherto unshakable foundations of romanticism and classicism.

The desire for repetition of consonances, an unusual angle for depicting emotional experiences, musical harmony - these are distinctive features Verlaine style.

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

Saturated with long periods of lack of money, scandals and restlessness. All his life he suffered from cruel blows of fate, offering virtually no resistance. Alcohol was his constant companion. And, despite his fame and talent, he finally sank and ended his days in terrible poverty.

Verlaine's youth

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 Elisa-Julie-Joseph-Stephanie Dehais.

Ardennes, or more precisely, the small house in Palisel, where Paul lived with his paternal aunt, left a deep mark on the poet’s soul. A lovely village surrounded by fields and here the poet spent up to 18 years. He later wrote with tenderness in his poems about these lands. He often drew inspiration from the sad, lyrical landscapes, colors and nature of his attractive homeland.

Brief biography of Paul Verlaine, the beginning of his poetic journey

In 1862, Verlaine received a bachelor's degree in literature. It was during this period that the future poet became acquainted with the works of Baudelaire, the literary cafes of Paris and the famous “Green Fairy” - absinthe. Verlaine said: “What fool came up with the idea of ​​calling this witch a fairy.”

Paul very quickly got tired of studying to become a lawyer. He tied his future destiny with poetry: he began to actively visit literary cafes and salons, in particular, the salon of the Marquise de Ricard, who was passionate about the Parnassians. He began to see often Lecomte de Lisle, considered the head of the entire movement, Francois Coppet and others, as well as Alphonse Lemaire, his future publisher. During this period, he published his first poems - the sonnet "Monsieur Prudhomme", and in 1864 - the collection "Saturn Poems". The poems were published at the expense of the author's cousin Eliza Moncomble. The book was published in 491 copies. Literary circles greeted this collection coolly.

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

Verlaine's marriage

In 1869 he met Mathilde Mothe de Fleurville, she became his muse. The collection " Good songs" In poetry, the poet naively described the development of his love feelings to a seventeen year old girl. The wedding took place on August 11, 1870. The young couple settled on the rue Cardinal Lemoine in house number two, overlooking the Seine, on the fifth and top floor.

In 1871, after the Commune, Verlaine entered the service of the city hall. The couple moved into the apartment of his wife's relatives, at number 14 on Nikole Street. But just a few weeks after their move, Rimbaud will burst into this house like lightning and forever destroy the life of the young couple and Verlaine’s intentions to start a good life.

Paul Verlaine, short biography: he and Rimbaud

Verlaine himself invited Rimbaud to Paris after he became acquainted with his poems and received a letter from Arthur.

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

Under the influence of Rimbaud and alcohol, Verlaine's behavior became completely immoral. He treated his young wife Mathilde roughly, who eventually ran away with her son Georges, born in October 1871.

Verlaine and Rimbaud became close. Their scandalous love and spiritual relationship lasted more than two years. During this time, Verlaine repeatedly tried to return to the family nest, but his attraction to Rimbaud won.

On July 10, 1873, a dramatic event occurred that forever broke the relationship between the poets. In Brussels, Verlaine, under the influence of alcohol, shot Rimbaud twice and wounded him. left wrist. Despite the withdrawn statement of the victim, Paul was sent to prison 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.

The biography of Paul Verlaine after prison does not tell of anything good. At first, his life seemed to take a calm turn. He got a job as a teacher and plunged into religion. But this lasted only two and a half years. Then his beloved student Lucien Letinois appeared in his life, and because of his attachment to him and his renewed binges, the poet was fired. She and Lucien buy an estate 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 goes to live with his mother and writes the collection “Love” in memory of Lucien. Again he indulges in riotous life, drinking and making scandals.

The poet is again imprisoned for two months for abusing his mother, after which they move to Paris, where the unfortunate woman soon dies and Verlaine becomes an absolute beggar.

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

On January 8, 1896, Verlaine died of pneumonia. His funeral cortege was accompanied by thousands of fans, poets, representatives of Parisian bohemians and close friends.

The poet was buried at the Batignolles cemetery next to his relatives.

A complete biography of Paul Verlaine deserves close attention. He takes the most important place in the history of French poetry, giving it more freedom and musicality and a huge variety of new meters and rhymes.

Paul Verlaine is a French poet, a prominent representative of such literary movements as symbolism and impressionism, and, in his opinion, a decadent. His poems are sincere, musical, organized in a special way– with predominance female rhyme, highlighting a specific sound and repeating it. Verlaine can rightfully be called a revolutionary of French and world poetry.

Childhood and youth

Paul-Marie Verlaine was born in the city of Metz. This happened on March 30, 1844. The boy's parents are Nicolas-Auguste Verlaine, captain of the engineering forces, and Elisa-Julie-Joseph-Stephanie Dehais. The father is in the military, which means frequent moves for the family. The Verlaines lived in Metz, Montpellier, Nîmes, and Sète. They settled in one place, in Batignel, a suburb of Paris, only when the father of the family retired.

Paul began writing poetry at the age of 14, in 1858. At the same time, the boy became acquainted with the works of Banville, Gautier, Lecomte de Lisle, and Glatigny. The young poet even dared to write to Hugo and send him his poem “Death” in a letter.

Verlaine studies first at the Landry boarding school, then at the Lyceum. In 1860, the young man met Edmond Lepeletier, who in the future would become the poet’s friend, biographer and executor. In 1862, the finances of the Verlaine family suffered, and Paul, having already become a bachelor of literature, entered the School of Law and focused on arithmetic, hoping to get into the Ministry of Finance.

Despite the efforts made to improve the well-being of the family, Paul Verlaine began a bohemian life. The young man drinks, goes to brothels, reads Buchner (“Force and Matter”), and visits the salon of the Marquise de Ricard, which has a republican orientation. In this salon, Verlaine's interlocutors are Theodore de Banville, Auguste Villiers de L'Isle-Adam, Sully Prudhomme, José Maria Heredia.

In August 1863, in the magazine “Review of Progress”, the creation of the young poet was first presented to readers - the sonnet “Mr. Prudhomme”. At the same time, the poet, who actively communicates with future Parnassians, works first in an insurance company, then in the Paris city hall.

At the end of 1865, Paul's father dies. In April 1866, eight poems by Verlaine took their place in the ninth issue of the journal Modern Parnassus, published by Alphonse Lemaire. And in November of the same year, through the efforts of Lemaire and Verlaine’s cousin, Eliza Moncomble (married Dujardin), Verlaine’s first collection, “Poems of Saturn,” appeared. Paul took Eliza's death in 1867 very hard, looking for salvation at the bottom of the glass.

Literature

After the “Saturnian Poems”, which included the “Autumn Song”, remarkable for its melody, creative biography Verlaine is gaining momentum. In 1867, the poet collaborated with the satirical magazine "May Bug". In 1868, hiding behind a pseudonym, he published the book “Girlfriends,” which was confiscated and destroyed by the court for obscenity. The fact is that the poems in “Girlfriends” were dedicated to lesbian relationships.

The second book of one of the brightest French-speaking poets, entitled “Gallant Celebrations,” was published in 1869. A year later, the next collection appears - “Good Song”, dedicated to his future wife Matilda Mota.

In days Paris Commune Verlaine works at the mayor's office, in the press department. He wrote his fourth book while traveling through England and Belgium in 1872-1873, and Romances Without Words was published in 1874.

The poem from this collection, “Silently the Heart Cries,” is still popular among readers. The only pity is that the special melody of Verlaine’s poetry is very difficult to convey when translated into any other language, even into rich Russian.

In the same 1874, Paul Verlaine wrote “Poetic Art” - a kind of manifesto of new French poetry. Verlaine often wrote about nature, and his landscapes, which fully corresponded to the impressionist canons, reflected primarily the state of mind. Such is the work “Endless Row of Fences,” which is striking simply because in the Russian translation the landscape is “drawn” without a single verb.

At the end of the 1870s, Verlaine reconsidered life values, including faith in God. The result of a reassessment of priorities is the book “Wisdom,” published in 1881. Wisdom was followed in 1885 by a collection of poems, Once and Recently, which included the famous Poetic Art, and a collection of literary criticism, Damned Poets. The “damned,” according to the author of the articles, included Verlaine himself, Arthur Rimbaud and four other poets.

The following fruits of Verlaine’s work can boast of a special, perfect aesthetics: the collections “Love” of 1888, “Happiness” and “Songs to Her” of 1891. By the way, “Wisdom”, “Love” and “Happiness” make up a kind of poetic trilogy.

Personal life

Ten years younger than Paul Verlaine was his friend, his passion, his pain - . Young Rimbaud in 1871 plucked up courage and wrote an enthusiastic letter to the already famous poet at that time, adding his own poems to it. And suddenly he received an invitation to Paris, and Verlaine, who became interested, paid for the young man’s travel.

Many recognized the talent of the provincial genius, but his manners left much to be desired. Extremely ill-mannered, rude, unkempt, Rimbaud conquered Verlaine and was even able to take him away from the family, separating him from his wife Matilda, who by the time her husband met the provincial poet had already given birth to a son.

The result of the joint journey of Verlaine and Rimbaud was “Romances Without Words”, and also - imprisonment The fields and his subsequent path to God. Having been freed, Verlaine met with Rimbaud for the last time in 1875. The date in Stuttgart ended in a quarrel, putting an end to the relationship between two friends and, according to rumors, lovers.

Death

The wife demanded and received a divorce, all the writer’s subsequent novels were unsuccessful - either with a prostitute or with a former dancer. Verlaine drank a lot, his health left much to be desired.

Towards the end of his life, Paul spent almost all his time in hospitals. On January 8, 1896, the great French poet died of pulmonary hemorrhage.

Bibliography

Poetry collections

• 1866 - "Saturnian Poems"
• 1869 - "Gallant festivities"
• 1870 - "Good Song"
• 1874 - "Romances without words"
• 1881 - "Wisdom"
• 1885 - "Once and Recently"
• 1888 - "Love"
• 1889 - "Parallel"
• 1891 - "Happiness"
• 1891 - "Songs for Her"
• 1892 - "Secret Masses"
• 1894 - “Epigrams” (Verlaine’s last lifetime collection).

• 1884 - "Damned Poets"
• 1886 - "Notes of a Widower"
• 1891 - "My Hospitals"
• 1893 - "My Prisons"

Verlaine Paul Marie (30.03.1844 – 8.01.1896) is one of the most famous French poets of the 19th century. Considered one of the founders of literary movements - symbolism and impressionism. In addition to his creativity, he is also known for his scandalous relationship with another French poet, Arthur Rimbaud.

“But the indifferent Rock knows no mercy.
In the fruit lies a worm, in slumber there is awakening,
Despair is in love; alas, that is the law.”

Childhood

Paul Marie Verlaine was born in the small French town of Metz in the northeast of the country. This happened on March 30, 1844. His father, Nicolas-Auguste, was a career military officer, an officer in the engineering forces. Therefore, the family rarely stayed in one place for a long time. Together with her father, she constantly moved from garrison to garrison. And only when Paul’s father decided to retire, this happened in 1851, did the family settle in the outskirts of Paris.

Verlaine began writing his first poems at the age of 14 (1858). He then studied at the Bonaparte Lyceum and was very interested in the poetry of Baudelaire, Hugo, and Gautier. He really wanted to be like his idols. He even sent Victor Hugo one of his poems, but he did not answer the young admirer.

Perhaps Verlaine would have wanted to deal only with poetry from the very beginning. But financial situation family forced the boy to look for more serious work. After graduating from the lyceum, he entered the School of Law, from where he hoped to later get into the Ministry of Finance. But it didn’t work out. Verlaine ended up going to work for an insurance company. At the same time, he wrote poetry. His first work was published in 1863.

Creation

The year 1865 was a turning point and very tragic for Verlaine. First he lost his father, and then his beloved cousin, who at first helped Paul with the publication of his poems, died. After this, the 20-year-old guy decided to devote himself entirely to creativity. And during this period several of his collections were published. The talent of the young poet did not go unnoticed. His longtime idol, Victor Hugo, found out about him. He even invited Verlaine to visit.

In 1869, Verlaine’s next collection of poems, “Gallant Celebrations,” was published. And then Paul meets his future wife Mathilde Mote. This girl became a kind of muse for the poet. It was in honor of her that he composed another collection within a year - “The Good Song”. But after that, Paul had to forget about creativity for a while. A general mobilization for war with Prussia was announced.

The next collection of poems, “Songs Without Words,” will be published only in 1874. During this period of his life, Paul wrote little. He was more busy with his personal life and quarrel with his wife. And all because of his connection with another French poet Arthur Rambaud. But this will be discussed a little further.

Verlaine's last years, like the beginning of his creative career, were full of tragic events. He lost his adopted son, then dedicated his new collection “Love” to him. He quarrels with his mother, and then loses her, drinks, brawls, for which he periodically ends up in prison. He is experiencing aggravation of various chronic diseases, because of which Paul will even be bedridden. But precisely in recent years In his lifetime, the poet will write all his most famous works, both poetry and prose. He wrote until the very last days of your life. The last collection, symbolically titled “Confession,” was published in September 1895. And in January 1996 he had an attack from which he could no longer recover.

“Men and women, do not hesitate to talk about love. Scream at the top of your voice about your feelings. Do this in spite of everything: curses, suffering, the contempt of beasts and the blasphemy of moralists. Love is the only meaning in life."

Verlaine and Rimbaud

The relationship between Paul Verlaine and Arthur Rimbaud became one of the biggest literary scandals of the 19th century. Rimbaud was much younger, he also wrote poetry and saw Paul as his mentor. They met in 1871. After a long correspondence, Verlaine himself invited the young man to Paris and fully paid for the travel and accommodation.

But the literary connection very quickly became something more. Rimbaud wanted Verlaine to be his only. Therefore, he quarrels Paul with his wife Matilda in every possible way. Moreover, conflicts are becoming more and more violent. Once Verlaine even beat his wife and threatened to kill his son. After this, Matilda will file for divorce, and Paul will come to his senses and rush to beg for forgiveness. He will be forgiven, but the poet will still not break the vicious relationship. He will continue to secretly correspond and meet with Rimbaud.

And such relationships continue for several years. Verlaine quarrels alternately with Matilda and Rimbaud, then also reconciles with them in turn. And the poet can’t decide with whom he ultimately wants to stay. It all ends badly. In 1973, Verlaine has a strong conflict with Rimbaud, grabs a pistol and shoots him in the arm. As a result, Paul is sentenced to two years in prison. During this time, he finally divorced his wife Matilda. And when he gets out of prison, he will part with Rimbaud. And as a result, you will be left completely alone.

Interesting video: Paul Verlaine's poem "Never Forever":