French Literature Reviews - 2026

Studies on Rimbaud's Illuminations
Other Literary Studies

Studies on Rimbaud's Illuminations by Sergio Sacchi
Collected papers edited by Olivier Bivort, André Guyaux, and Mario Matucci
Presses de l'Université Paris-Sorbonne, 2003, 29 pp.

Sergio Sacchi devoted the greater part of his academic career to Rimbaud. He made him the subject of his first book, Rimbaud o la vita assente, published in 1978.

Over the following fifteen years or so, he published numerous remarkable articles, focusing primarily on Rimbaud's prose works. He had intended to compile his contributions to Rimbaud scholarship himself, but illness and death prevented him from doing so. Today, we have fulfilled this project by gathering all of his studies on the Illuminations into a single volume.

Arthur Rimbaud's Illuminations represent a significant development in nineteenth-century French poetry, marking a transition toward the prose poem and the exploration of visionary imagery. This volume gathers studies on the Illuminations by Sergio Sacchi, who devoted the greater part of his academic career to Rimbaud. By collecting these articles, the editors have fulfilled a project that Sacchi had intended to complete himself. Readers interested in the evolution of Rimbaud scholarship may find this compilation relevant.

The study of Rimbaud's prose remains a central concern within the broader field of nineteenth-century literary studies, where scholars often examine the intersection of biography and stylistic innovation. Sacchi's academic career included the publication of his 1978 book Rimbaud o la vita assente and numerous articles focusing on the poet's prose works. This volume documents his research on the Illuminations, reflecting a sustained effort to interpret the poet's writing.