And from that time on I bathed in the Poem Of the Sea, star-infused and churned into milk, Devouring the green azures; where, entranced in pallid flotsam, A dreaming drowned man sometimes goes down.
Arthur RimbaudRead
And I am still alive-what though, my damnation is eternal. A man who deliberately mutilates himself is truly damned, is he not? I believe that I am in hell, therefore I am.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote expresses a profound struggle with existence and self-inflicted suffering, suggesting a sense of eternal consequence.
Arthur Rimbaud's quote delves into the complexities of existence, self-damage, and the perception of one's reality. He articulates a feeling of being trapped in a personal hell, arguing that self-mutilation is a form of damnation, reflecting a deeper philosophical exploration of identity and suffering. By proclaiming 'I believe that I am in hell, therefore I am,' Rimbaud emphasizes that consciousness and belief in one's suffering create a tangible reality of despair, highlighting the intricate connection between thought, self-perception, and the emotional state.
Themes
ExistenceSufferingSelf-DamnationPhilosophyIdentity
In practice
Example use cases
In a philosophical debate about the nature of suffering and self-perception.
More from Arthur Rimbaud
All quotes →My wisdom is as spurned as chaos. What is my nothingness, compared to the amazement that awaits you?
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In the great glasshouses streaming with condensation, the children in mourning-dress beheld marvels.
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I turned silences and nights into words. What was unutterable, I wrote down. I made the whirling world stand still.
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Idle youth, enslaved to everything; by being too sensitive I have wasted my life.
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What a life! True life is elsewhere. We are not in the world.
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