Sur le rayon des yeux du voyant des « Voyelles »

The sonnet « Voyelles » by Rimbaud (ca winter 1871) begins with the announcement that the lyrical subject of the poem will tell of the births of the vowels, and ends on the words « le rayon violet de ses Yeux » - words which form with the « fronts studieux » of alchemists the only masculine rhyme of the sonnet. This article explores the hypothesis that these “Eyes” are those of a lyrical subject who has become a Voyant, an alchemist of the Word in this very sonnet.