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 …showed first 75 words of 1207 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1207 total…literature. However, when one considers the concluding stanzas, the poet/boat's final resignation and longing for death, the poem becomes something more than typical of the 20th century. The radical changes of the 20th century, the contradiction of forces, the deconstruction of language, the doubt permeating all aspects of life, are hinted at in Rimbaud's piece, making his poem The Drunken Boat a truly timeless poem capable of bridging the gap between two different eras.