Arthur Rimbaud

As part of the decadent movement, his influence on modern literature, music and art has been enduring and pervasive. He produced his best known works while still in his late teens—Victor Hugo described him at the time as "an infant Shakespeare"—and gave up creative writing altogether before he reached 21. He remained a prolific letter-writer all his life. Rimbaud was known to have been a French Libertine and a restless soul, travelling extensively on three continents before his premature death from cancer less than a month after his 37th birthday.