Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Arthur Rimbaud's "Royalty" offers a momentary glimpse into the lives of a man and woman, seemingly ordinary yet majestic in their bearing, who declare themselves king and queen. The narrative captures the essence of their shared, ephemeral experience of royalty. On the surface, the poem reads like a fairy tale-a dreamlike sequence in a land "full of mild-mannered folk." But underpinning the text is a complex exploration of desire, delusion, and the transient nature of happiness and power.

The man and woman's declaration is spontaneous and assertive, almost usurping the natural order by the sheer force of their will. "I want her to be queen!" the man proclaims, while the woman reciprocates with "I want to be queen!" Their desires are transparent, straightforward, and remarkably candid. No justifications are offered, no preceding conditions mentioned; the declarations stem purely from a personal revelation and a "test completed," which remains unspecified, rendering their ascent to "royalty" all the more mystical.

What follows is a brief episode of ecstatic happiness. The couple, enveloped in each other's arms, experience their sovereignty in a sensory-rich environment where "draperies hung ruby-colored from the houses" and a "garden of palms" awaits them. The vivid imagery evokes a sense of luxury and exoticism, transporting the reader into a world that is as extravagant as it is fleeting. It's worth noting that the ecstasy doesn't derive from the acknowledgment of the crowd or any external validation but rather emanates from their mutual agreement to embrace this illusory state of being. For one morning and one afternoon, they are "truly kings," albeit in a realm defined solely by their own imaginations and perhaps shared delusions.

This ephemeral experience of royalty exposes the fragility and temporality of concepts such as power and happiness. It raises questions about the substance of our desires and the narratives we construct to give meaning to our lives. Are the man and woman genuinely experiencing a sublime moment, or are they merely role-playing, lost in a shared delusion of grandeur? And if it is a delusion, does that make the experience any less valid or any less beautiful? Rimbaud leaves these questions open-ended, allowing the reader to ponder the existential implications.

Moreover, the public square where the proclamation is made serves as a theater, a stage where personal desires and public life intersect. It questions the extent to which our identities and roles are performative, subject to change through sheer will or collective belief.

"Royalty" is Rimbaud's exploration of the transient nature of human experience and the malleable constructs that define our reality-be it love, power, or identity. Though the poem captures only a brief episode in the lives of its protagonists, it leaves an enduring impression about the complexities of human desire and the elusive nature of fulfillment. This snapshot of fleeting happiness encapsulates an eternal human yearning for something extraordinary, even if it only lasts for a morning and an afternoon.

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