Person    | Male  Born 30/3/1844  Died 8/1/1896

Paul Verlaine

Categories: Poetry

Countries: Belgium, France

French poet. Born Metz, France. Has been described as an ugly, homicidal alcoholic. He effectively eloped from his own marriage to live with Rimbaud. Following his imprisonment for attempted murder of Rimbaud in Brussels (see BrusselsRemembers), he was released in January 1875. He returned to Britain, and ended up as a schoolmaster in Stickney, a village near Boston in Lincolnshire. No plaque, apparently, but Verlaine does appear in one of the school photographs. Relied on his mother for support much of his life. Returned to France where he had another homosexual affair. Thereafter mainly lived in Paris, under the shadow of his past scandals. Only late in his life was his poetry valued. Died Paris, aged 51.

Some of this information comes from the Verlaine Soho Mural podcast - worth a listen.

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This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Paul Verlaine

Commemorated ati

Spirit of Soho Mural

Interesting that Coca Cola are specifically mentioned on the panel but not as...

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Verlaine and Rimbaud

Chosen as our featured memorial in July 2004. The decadent relationship lived...

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Verlaine birth

Dans cette maison, le poete Paul Verlaine est ne le 30 Mars 1844. (Translate...

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Other Subjects

Canon Richard Watson Dixon

Canon Richard Watson Dixon

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Person, History, Poetry, Religion

1 memorial
Arthur Rimbaud

Arthur Rimbaud

French poet. Born Charleville, Ardennes, France. Aged 16, ran away to Paris where he was promptly arrested for fare dodging. Back home he tried writing to the much older Verlaine, his favourite poe...

Person, Poetry, Belgium, France

1 memorial
Edith Nesbit

Edith Nesbit

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2 memorials
Hilaire Belloc

Hilaire Belloc

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Person, History, Literature, Poetry, France

2 memorials
John Milton

John Milton

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Person, Education, Poetry, Seriously Famous

17 memorials

Previously viewed

Heath & (Old) Hampstead Society / Hampstead Plaque Fund

Heath & (Old) Hampstead Society / Hampstead Plaque Fund

The Hampstead Plaque fund was set up, many years ago, by Ralph Wade and has been administered by the Society ever since.

Group, Community / Clubs, History

40 memorials
John Sewell

John Sewell

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Person, Medicine

1 memorial
Robert Horner

Robert Horner

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Person, Commerce, Property

2 memorials
Holly Lodge wall - D

Holly Lodge wall - D

N6, Holly Lodge Gardens

These plaques seem to relate to the maintenance and changing ownership of the grounds of "The Holly Lodge". The house (which was between ...

1 subject commemorated
Geoffrey Chaucer

Geoffrey Chaucer

Poet and administrator. Whilst living in the Aldgate, as the ‘Comptroller of the Customs and Subside of Wools, Skins and Tanned Hides’ that Chaucer published ‘A Monks Tale’ and worked on ‘Canterbur...

Person, Literature, Seriously Famous

12 memorials