When considering the importance of literature from the 19th century based on its value as a precursor of 20th century values, Arthur Rimbaud's poem The Drunken Boat stands out. His symbolist contemporaries all made significant contributions through their development of the symbol as a means to evoke particular emotions and their progression of language. Where Rimbaud stands out among his contemporaries is in his theme that permeates The Drunken Boat, a theme that is as much a precursor of things to come as it is a bridge to 20th century ideals. The radical changes of the 20th century, the contradiction of forces, the deconstruction of language, the doubt permeating all aspects of li