The poet, therefore, is truly the thief of fire. He is responsible for humanity, for animals even; he will have to make sure his visions can be smelled, fondled, listened to; if what he brings back from beyond has form, he gives it form; if it has none, he gives it none. A language must be found…of the soul, for the soul and will include everything: perfumes, sounds colors, thought grappling with thought

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Rimbaud and Verlaine began a short and torrid affair. The post-operative diagnosis was cancer. Until this time his reading was confined almost entirely to the Bible but he also enjoyed fairy tales and stories of adventure such as the novels of James Fenimore Cooper and Gustave Aimard.

Rimbaud was known to have been a libertine and restless soul travelling extensively on three continents before his death from cancer just after his 37th birthday. For other people named Rimbaud see Rimbaud (surname). Born in Charleville Ardennes he produced his works while still in his late teens—Victor Hugo described him at the time as "an infant Shakespeare"—and gave up creative writing before the age of 20.