Départ Décomposé

Arthur Rimbaud, often regarded as one of the first true proto-Surrealists and a cornerstone of Modernism, navigates an intricate labyrinth of existential ennui, societal critique, and artistic discontent in his compelling poem "Départ," from the seminal collection "Les Illuminations." Through confrontational linguistic choices such as "Assez vu," "Assez eu," and "Assez connu," Rimbaud crystallizes his dissatisfaction with sensory perception, materialism, and intellectual pursuits. The poem also delves into the cacophony of late-19th-century French industrialization and the new "Rumeurs des villes," capturing seismic societal shifts and the emergence of bourgeois culture. Additionally, Rimbaud's rejection of Romanticism and the Aestheticism movement positions the poem as a battleground against the arts, spotlighting their limitations in addressing human complexity. This multi-dimensional exploration serves to illuminate Rimbaud's role as a pioneer in both societal critique and metaphysical questing.

In proper Rimbaudian fashion, the poem begins with an immediate offense:

“Assez vu.”

"Assez vu" – a phrase which cannot be brought into being without being an immediate linguistic offense and denigration of l’Academie Francaise. It’s a grating assertion and a confrontational acknowledgement and proclaiment of the poet's wretched circumstances. Despite any provided clarity behind the actual circumstances, “Assez vu” encapsulates a sentiment of a sensory satiation. The external world and its sensory offerings no longer provide the proper stimulation or enrichment. This could be interpreted as an indictment of an objective reality, as if to imply that the tangible world has been scoured, and the poet still fails to find an ultimate catharsis. Nevertheless, the following line rejects the notion of receiving a clear narrative from the poet.

"La vision s’est rencontrée à tous les airs"

This line only complicates interpretation, as the concept of vision as strictly an external sense is met with incongruent considerations of vision as a ubiquitous concept, and universally “s’est rencontrée à tous les airs.“ The use of the word "rencontrée" implies an accidental or surprise encounter with these visions, indicating that these perceptions were not sought out but rather happened upon.“Les airs” could refer to the physical atmosphere, mood, or aura of different places; or it could mean tunes or melodies, implying that the abstract “vision” has been encountered in every song or piece of music. Nevertheless, the speaker has seen enough, and these visions are omnipresent, suggesting a pervasive, inescapable quality to this abstract conception.

"Assez vu. La vision s'est rencontrée à tous les airs"

Together, the first line is then read as a paradoxical relationship between pure empirical senses and an abstract, metaphysical sense. "Assez vu" evokes the limits of rationalism, pointing to the failures of our perceptions in adequately comprehending the external world. Conversely, "La vision s’est rencontrée à tous les airs" serves as a counterpoint to the initial exhaustion. Here, "vision" is no longer confined to the act of seeing; it becomes an inner, seemingly spiritual perception.

The lack of a full understanding as to the nature of “tous les airs” validates this assumption, as it suggests that this "vision" is something that transcends physical atmospheric boundaries, emotional boundaries, and all else. Within a single line, Rimbaud outlines a profound microcosm of the transgressive conflict between body and mind. He has seen too much and still cannot understand, yet he knows there is that which exists “unseen” but does not allow him to understand.

"Assez eu. Rumeurs des villes, le soir, et au soleil, et toujours."

The second line posits a continuing pattern of discontented assertiveness, "Assez eu", followed by a depiction of the constant "Rumeurs des villes". In the late-19th century, France was experiencing significant industrial growth, resulting in extensive urban change. Cities expanded, factories sprouted, and the ceaseless “rumeurs” of industrial machinery and human activity became the new symphony of daily existence. Thus, "le soir, et au soleil, et toujours”, suggests a temporal inescapability of these novel urban noises, both day and night.

Alongside the mechanical innovation of the Industrial Age came the bourgeois upper class, marked by an affinity for material “luxe” and a hollow adherement to a certain level of intellectual and cultural engagement. While Rimbaud presided in London around the time of his authoring of “Depart”, the poem came during the apex of the Parisian ‘flâneur’ society and the associated degradation of urban social relationships. Thus, "Rumeurs des villes" may also make a critical nod to the rumors or gossip spread within the social strata of the city. Similarly, "le soir, et au soleil, et toujours" could then suggest a sense of continuity or perpetuity of urban life beyond just the whirring auditory nuisance and into the realm of this detached cosmopolitan culture.

“Assez eu.”

However, “Assez eu” becomes the main focal point as its interpretation again connects two divergent branches between the material and immaterial. Rimbaud finds that he has both “had enough”, as in he is physically, materialistically dissatisfied or exhausted. He has hit a tangible sense of “enough”, perhaps as a symptom of the public societal embrace of consumerism. In this specific sense, he has lost any propensity or desire to further materially consume. On the other hand, his immaterial “enough” refers to a similar internal, metaphysical concept. For example, while this new consumerist ethos has left him unable to keep consuming, it has also instilled deep Socialist sentiments and presumably a sense of class consciousness.

"Assez eu" serves as a powerful articulation of his discontent not only with materialistic society but also with the cultural environment of his time as it can be seen to be a sharp rebuke to the bourgeois driven Aestheticism movement. The movement prioritized a subjective interpretation of art that was constrained only to the realm of vanity, disregarding any further inferences of potential moral or political elements. Thus, the concept of value within the movement is inherently tied to appreciating the best possible object – a perfect example of which Rimbaud has “had enough.” Furthermore, the privileged restriction of Aestheticism to only those who could afford to engage with the movement would make way for not just a rejection of consumerist materialism but also a call to address the very social and economic disparities that Aestheticism chose to ignore.

"Assez connu.”

Here, Rimbaud’s repetition has now made way for a rhythm of dissatisfaction and longing, while the short, direct sentences convey a sense of his exhausted urgency. Rimbaud’s prevailing sense of apprehensive ambiguity persists in this line, and the urgency is now the most personally palpable for Rimbaud finds he has “known enough.” As a poet, he has disengaged from the quest for further knowledge or experience, perhaps from a personal dissatisfaction with the limited scope of human understanding or the confinements of the individual psych.

Moreover, this disillusionment could be interpreted in the context of broader movements, such as the growing intellectual skepticism in regard to Enlightenment ideals and Rationalism. Yet, most crucially was the obsolescence and shift from Romanticism into the many branches of Modernism. The advent of the Industrial Revolution at the end of the 18th century served as the theoretical springboard for the Romanticism movement, characterized by an idealized return to nature and a liberation from the banality of modern life. Despite the lofty, picturesque creations of the Romanticist, Rimbaud and his contemporaries continued to suffer through the reverberations of industrialization.

Thus, Rimbaud uses literature as a field to react to both the dismal pitfalls of modern life and the shortcomings of other creatives in properly confronting it. In fact, Rimbaud’s inability to reconcile such fantastical forms of subjective expression with the disappointing objective reality of the material world could be interpreted as a large factor in Rimbaud’s stylistic ambiguity. The poet finds that the critical point where the fictitious and the mythical have proven powerless in detracting from harsh societal realities, then there is nothing more to know. Consequently, Rimbaud now seeks a truly proto-Surrealist sense of transgression beyond that of the “connu”, in search of a truer existence or meaning.

“Ô Rumeurs et Visions!”

The exclamatory “Ô Rumeurs et Visions!” finalizes the line's complexity by juxtaposing the materially originated interpretations of "rumeurs" with the immaterial concept of "visions." Rimbaud’s “Depart” can be seen as the poet’s grappling with this juncture between external noise and internal insight is one, neither of which have provided the solace or understanding he seeks. Rimbaud’s use of “Ô” highlights a sort of desperate cry of appeal to both these concepts, as if lamenting the failures in offering a reprieve from his existential plight.

This line dictates Rimbaud’s complex account of the human condition as he sees it: constrained by the physical and bodily, disenchanted by what is known, yet endlessly tantalized by that which is inconceivable and beyond true conceptualization. It’s at this same juncture too that Rimbaud finds himself also in a confrontation with the tides of cultural progression. A progression that became stunted after it too seemingly fell into the same dichotomy and turmoil before being allowed some relief in the presence of Modernism and the movement’s resulting rapid progression and variation in expression.

"Départ dans l’affection et le bruit neufs!"

The final line of the poem immediately breaks the rhythm of the repeated assertions generated in the former lines. This rhetorical cessation is further accompanied by the distinct lack of punctuation and capital letters in this line compared to previous lines. Such deliberate changes in conventions and his careful choice of “affection” provoke an emotionally smoother sentiment in the poem’s conclusion. Here, "Départ" could be interpreted as a twofold departure from the known towards the unknown.

However, the rhetorical devices make the departure seem not sorrowful, but one of affection and curiously bound with opportunity in the form of le “bruit neufs”. The act of leaving is imbued with newness by Rimbaud, suggesting a simultaneous beginning. In total, Rimbaud’s concept of a departure is also a concept of an arrival, through reinvention, transformation or otherwise.

Arthur Rimbaud's "Départ" stands as a poetic crucible where the complexities of society, existence, and art are rigorously examined. Through the lens of Rimbaud as a proto-Surrealist and a foundational figure in Modernism, the poem reveals its rich layers. Terms like "Assez vu," "Assez eu," and "Assez connu" serve as milestones in Rimbaud's confrontation against objective reality, materialistic culture, and intellectual rigidity. Additionally, "Rumeurs des villes" encapsulates the essence of an industrializing France and its socio-cultural upheavals. The work further establishes Rimbaud's stance against Romanticism and the Aestheticism movement, challenging their inability to sufficiently grapple with the human condition. In sum, "Départ" is not just a departure from the known but an arrival into a realm of boundless questioning and exploration, solidifying Rimbaud's position as a revolutionary force in both Surrealism and Modernism.