Sexual Allusions and Scholarship: Observations on Rimbaud Studies

Recent research has attempted to discover secondary sexual meanings of words in Rimbaud, of which cœur in the sense of "penis" is the most pertinent. The test of genre and context for the relevance of secondary meanings indicates that there has been much exaggeration in readings of Rimbaud based on them. "Bonne Pensée du matin," however, shows a unique combination of lyric phrasing and bawdy allusions. In conclusion, we must be aware of unwarranted assumptions about the way in which Rimbaud's own sexual orientation may be reflected in his work. (JPH)