Lovers Reunited? France deciding whether or not to disinter Rimbaud and Verlaine to bury them in the Pantheon

Paul was cute but damn I would have gone to town on Arthur!

Seems like their last contact was when one shot the other in the early 1870s. Rimbaud died in 1891. So that’s like 20 years apart. This all seems like romanticized sentimentality. Do you want to be dug up and re-interred next to someone who shot you and then you hadn’t seen for 20 years before your death?

Foolishness. If they lived and died as the picture of lifelong devotion and persecution I could see it. But this is a bit like burying Betty Broderick next to her dead husband.

wouldn't a plaque suffice?

Verlaine was besotted with Rimbaud. Rimbaud not so much and had a whole other life after the affair was over. Leave them alone and bury a devoted couple instead.

I hate that they're lying in grotty graves but this is not the solution

Didn’t Rimbaud deal in slaves when he was a commercial traveler in Africa? That might disqualify him for Pantheonisation.

I don't see why these are the only two options. Come on France! Think of something respectful yet not gruesome as OP puts it.

Maybe a nice statue of them together, maybe in a super intimate position? Any better ideas DL we can send to hottie Emmanuel?

Agreed R7! Something like this but with full penetration.

Rimjob and Verklempt!

They're not Romeo and Jules.

A plaque would be enough.

Panthéon? "Aux Grands Hommes, La Patrie Reconnaissante" ?

No way in Hell.

It's not a big deal in Europe. For one thing, they don't have as much burial space as we do so they have to put a lot of thought into where they want to put remains and for how long.

I see Americans, once again, don't know what they're talking about. Rimbauld and Verlaine were both against the institutions. They didn't like this kind of ritual. This is the main reason why they have never been Pantheonized together. There is also the fact that their love affair ended very badly and that they did not want to hear about their romance again. Verlaine felt guilty for his homosexuality and he was also a devout Catholic. This is why the Pantheon is a subject to controversy. Also, they both already statues with their effigies, we did not wait for the Americans to crown our two artists. Voilà, merci!

^They both already have

One thing's for sure, they would have loved all the drama: In death as in life.

R15 Hmmm... I would say that Rimbaud would have liked the drama that the Panthéon puts on. He would even have written sublime poems on it. But not Verlaine.

I have been to the Pantheon and I think this would be a wonderful addition. However, I can also see the towns where they are currently buried pushing back on this idea.

They were head over heels in love with each other but when Paul shot Arthur he never forgave him. He then traveled the world to forget about him. Paul after being in jail never forgave Arthur and the fact that he was married made him bitter. But we all know they didn't stop thinking about each other overnight. This is strongly felt in their respective poetry. Between the lines.

All I know is it’s my new Quarantine Avatar for this era!

Rimbaud is buried in a beautiful grave in his hometown, Charleville. Singer Patti Smith owns his childhood home and the small museum adjoining the house.

A poll shows the desire of the French to see Josephine Baker have her place in the Pantheon. More than Rimbaud and Verlaine. Her fight in the French Resistance and for civil rights and those of children are widely hailed. She is at the top of the personalities that the French want at the Pantheon.

Give us the link r21.

R22 Saw this on the French Tv (France 2), not in an article but i can try to find an article if you want