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Charles Pierre Baudelaire

Charles Baudelaire (portrait by Etienne Carjat, ca. 1863)
Born April 9, 1821
Paris, France
Died August 31, 1867 (aged 46)
Paris, France
Occupation poet, art critic
Nationality French
Writing period 1844–1866
Literary movement Symbolist, Modernist
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Charles Pierre Baudelaire (pronounced /ˈboʊdəlɛər/; French pronounced [ʃaʁl bodlɛʁ]) (April 9, 1821 - August 31, 1867) was an influential nineteenth century French poet, critic and acclaimed translator. Events 193 - Septimius Severus is proclaimed Roman Emperor by the army in Illyricum (in the Balkans) Year 1821 ( MDCCCXXI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Events 1056 - Byzantine Empress Theodora becomes ill dying suddenly a few days later without children to succeed the Throne Year 1867 ( MDCCCLXVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Employment is a Contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. Nationality is a relationship between a Person and their State of Origin, Culture, association Affiliation and/or Loyalty This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. This is a list of modern literary movements: that is movements after the Renaissance. Symbolism was a late nineteenth-century Art movement of French and Belgian origin in poetry and other arts Modernism describes an array of Cultural movements rooted in the changes in Western society in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century This article is a general introduction to French literature For detailed information on French literature in specific historic periods see the separate historical articles in the Medieval French literature is for the purpose of this article Literature written in Oïl languages (particularly Old French and early Middle For more information on historical developments in this period see Renaissance, History of France, and Early Modern France. French literature of the 17th century &mdashthe so-called Grand Siècle &mdashspans the reigns of Henry IV of France, the Regency of Marie de Medici French literature of the 18th century usually refers to the literature written between 1715, the year of the death of King Louis XIV of France, and 1798 the year French literature of the nineteenth century is for the purpose of this article literature written in French from (roughly 1799 to 1900 French literature of the twentieth century is for the purpose of this article literature written in French from (roughly 1895 to 1990 Contemporary French literature is French literature roughly from the 1990s to Today. Chronological list of French language authors (regardless of nationality by date of birth Events 193 - Septimius Severus is proclaimed Roman Emperor by the army in Illyricum (in the Balkans) Year 1821 ( MDCCCXXI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year Events 1056 - Byzantine Empress Theodora becomes ill dying suddenly a few days later without children to succeed the Throne Year 1867 ( MDCCCLXVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting French poetry is a category of French literature. It may include Francophone poetry composed outside France and poetry written in other Languages of The word critic comes from the Greek el κριτικός ( el-Latn kritikós) "able to discern" which in turn derives from the word Translation is the interpreting of the meaning of a text and the subsequent production of an equivalent text likewise called a " translation

Contents

Biography

Early life

Baudelaire was born in Paris, France in 1821. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city His father, a senior civil servant and amateur artist, died early in Baudelaire's life in 1827. See also Bureaucrat The term civil service has two distinct meanings Branch of governmental service in which individuals are hired on the basis The definition of an artist is wide-ranging and covers a broad spectrum of Activities to do with creating Art, practicing the Arts and/or demonstrating The following year, his mother, Caroline, thirty-four years younger than his father, married Lieutenant Colonel Jacques Aupick, who later became a French ambassador to various noble courts. Baudelaire's relationship with his mother was a close and complex one, and it dominated his life. [1] He later stated "I loved my mother for her elegance. I was a precocious dandy". A dandy (also known as a beau gallant or flamboyant person is a man who places particular importance upon Physical appearance, refined language and leisurely hobbies He later wrote to her "There was in my childhood a period of passionate love for you". [2] Aupick, a rigid disciplinarian, though concerned for Baudelaire's upbringing and future, quickly came to odds with his stepson's artistic temperament. [3]

Baudelaire was educated in Lyon, where he was forced to board away from his mother (even during holidays) and accept his stepfather's rigid methods, which included depriving him of visits home when his grades slipped. ||-||} Lyon, also known as Lyons in English is a city in east-central France. He wrote when recalling those times: "A shudder at the grim years of claustration. . . the unease of wretched and abandoned childhood, the hatred of tyrannical schoolfellows, and the solitude of the heart". [4]At fourteen, Baudelaire was described by a classmate: "He was much more refined and distinguished than any of our fellow pupils. . . we are bound to one another. . . by shared tastes and sympathies, the precocious love of fine works of literature". [5]Later, he attended the Lycée Louis-le-Grand in Paris. The Lycée Louis-le-Grand (sometimes nicknamed LLG) is a public Secondary school located in Paris, widely regarded as one of the most demanding in Baudelaire was erratic in his studies, at times diligent, at other times prone to "idleness".

At eighteen, Baudelaire was described as "an exalted character, sometimes full of mysticism, and sometimes full of immorality and cynicism (which were excessive but only verbal)". [6]Upon gaining his degree in 1839, he was undecided about his future. A degree is any of a wide range of status levels conferred by institutions of Higher education, such as universities, normally as the result of successfully completing He told his brother "I don't feel I have a vocation for anything". His stepfather had in mind a career in law or diplomacy, but instead Baudelaire decided to embark upon a literary career, and for the next two years led an irregular life, socializing with other bohemian artists and writers. The term bohemian, of French origin was first used in the English language in the nineteenth century to describe the untraditional lifestyles of marginalized and impoverished Artists [7]

Baudelaire began to frequent prostitutes and may have contracted gonorrhea and syphilis during this period. Prostitution is the act of performing Sexual activity in exchange for Money. Gonorrhea (also gonorrhoea) caused by the bacteria Neisseria gonorrhoeae, is a common Sexually transmitted disease. Syphilis is a Sexually transmitted disease caused by the spirochetal Bacterium Treponema pallidum pallidum. He went to a pharmacist known for venereal disease treatments, upon the recommendation of his older brother Alphonse, a magistrate. A sexually transmitted disease ( STD) or venereal disease ( VD) is an illness that has a significant probability of transmission between Humans [8]For a while, he took on a prostitute "Sara" as his mistress and lived with his brother when his funds were low. His stepfather kept him on a tight allowance which he spent as quickly as he received it. Baudelaire began to run up debts, mostly for clothes. His stepfather demanded an accounting and wrote to Alphonse: "The moment has come when something must be done to save your brother from absolute perdition". [9] In the hope of reforming him and making a man of him, his stepfather sent him on a voyage to Calcutta, India in 1841, under the care of a former naval captain. Baudelaire's mother was distressed both by his poor behavior and by the proposed solution. [10]

The arduous trip, however, did nothing to turn Baudelaire's mind away from a literary career or from his casual attitude toward life, so the naval captain agreed to let Baudelaire return home. Though Baudelaire later exaggerated his aborted trip to create a legend about his youthful travels and experiences, including "riding on elephants", the trip did provide strong impressions of the sea, sailing, and exotic ports, that he later employed in his poetry. [11] Baudelaire returned to Paris after less than a year's absence. Much to his parents' chagrin, he was more determined than ever to continue with his literary career. His mother later recalled: "Oh, what grief! If Charles had let himself be guided by his stepfather, his career would have been very different. . . He would not have left a name in literature, it is true, but we should have been happier, all three of us". [12]

Soon, Baudelaire returned to the taverns to philosophize and to recite his unpublished poems, and to enjoy the adulation of his artistic peers. At twenty-one, he received a good-sized inheritance of over 100,000 francs, plus four parcels of land, but squandered much of it within a few years, including borrowing heavily against his mortgages. He quickly piled up debts far exceeding his annual income and, out of desperation, his family obtained a decree to place his property in trust. [13] During this time he met Jeanne Duval, the illegitimate daughter of a prostitute from Nantes, who was to become his longest romantic association. Jeanne Duval (French ʒan dyˈval was a mixed race actress dancer and Muse to French poet and art critic Charles Baudelaire, for twenty years She had been the mistress of the caricaturist and photographer Nadar. His mother thought Jeanne a "Black Venus" who "tortured him in every way" and drained him of money at every opportunity. [14]

Career

While still unpublished in 1843, Baudelaire became known in artistic circles as a dandy and free-spender, buying up books, art and antiques he couldn't afford. A dandy (also known as a beau gallant or flamboyant person is a man who places particular importance upon Physical appearance, refined language and leisurely hobbies By 1844, he was eating on credit and half his inheritance was gone. Baudelaire regularly implored his mother for money while he tried to advance his career. He met Balzac around this time and began to write many of the poems which would appear in Les Fleurs du mal ("The Flowers of Evil"). Les Fleurs du mal (literal trans "The Flowers of Evil" is a volume of French Poetry by Charles Baudelaire. [15]His first published work was his art review Salon of 1845, which attracted immediate attention for its boldness. Art refers to a diverse range of Human activities creations and expressions that are appealing to the Senses or Emotions of a human individual Many of his critical opinions were novel in their time, including his championing of Delacroix, but have since been generally accepted. Ferdinand Victor Eugène Delacroix (26 April 1798 &ndash 13 August 1863 was a French Romantic artist regarded from the outset of his career as the leader of Baudelaire proved himself to be a well-informed and passionate critic and he gained the attention of the greater art community. [16]That summer, however, despondent about his meager income, rising debts, loneliness and doubtful future, because "the fatigue of falling asleep and the fatigue of waking are unbearable", he decided to commit suicide and leave the remainder of his inheritance to his mistress. However, he lost his resolve and wounded himself with a knife only superficially. He implored his mother to visit him as he recovered but she ignored his pleas, perhaps under orders from her husband. [17]For a time, Baudelaire was homeless and completely estranged from his parents, until they relented due to his poor condition.

In 1846, Baudelaire wrote his second Salon review, gaining additional credibility as a advocate and critic of Romanticism. Romanticism is a complex artistic literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Western Europe, and gained strength during the His support of Delacroix as the foremost Romantic artist gained widespread notice. Ferdinand Victor Eugène Delacroix (26 April 1798 &ndash 13 August 1863 was a French Romantic artist regarded from the outset of his career as the leader of [18]The following year Baudelaire's novella La Fanfarlo was published.

Baudelaire took part in the Revolutions of 1848. The February 1848 Revolution in France ended the reign of King Louis-Philippe, and led to the creation of the French Second Republic (1848-1852 [19] For some years, he was interested in republican politics; but his political tendencies were more emotional positions than steadfast convictions, spanning the anarchism of Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, the history of the Raison d'Ėtat of Giuseppe Ferrari and ultramontane critique of liberalism of Joseph de Maistre. Republicanism is the Ideology of governing a nation as a Republic, with an emphasis on Liberty, Rule of law, Popular sovereignty Pierre-Joseph Proudhon (ˈpruːd ɒn in British English, dɔ̃ in French) ( 15 January 1809 – 19 January 1865) was Giuseppe Ferrari ( 7 March 1812 - 2 July 1876) was an Italian Philosopher, Historian and Politician Ultramontanism is a religious philosophy within the Catholic Church that places strong emphasis on the prerogatives and powers of the Pope. Joseph-Marie Comte de Maistre (1 April 1753- 26 February 1821 was a French-speaking Savoyard lawyer diplomat writer and philosopher His stepfather, also caught up in the Revolution, survived the mob and was appointed envoy extraordinary to Turkey by the new government despite his ties to the deposed royal family. [20]

In the early 1850s, Baudelaire struggled with poor health, pressing debts, and irregular literary output. He often moved from one lodging to another and maintained an uneasy relationship with his mother, frequently imploring her by letter for money. (Her letters to him have not been found. ) [21] He received many projects that he was unable to complete, though he did finish translations of stories by Edgar Allan Poe which were published in La Pays. Edgar Allan Poe (January 19 1809 – October 7 1849 was an American poet, short-story Writer, editor and Literary critic, [22] Baudelaire had learned English in his childhood, and Gothic novels, such as Lewis's The Monk, and Poe's short stories, became some of his favorite reading matter, and major influences. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Gothic fiction (sometimes referred to as Gothic horror) is a genre of literature that combines elements of both horror and romance. ( 9 July 1775 &ndash 14 May 1818) was an English Novelist and Dramatist, often referred to as "Monk" Ambrosio or the Monk is a Gothic novel by Matthew Gregory Lewis which first appeared in 1796.

Upon the death of his stepfather in 1857, Baudelaire received no mention in the will but he was heartened nonetheless that the division with his mother might now be mended. Still strongly tied to her emotionally, at thirty-six he wrote her: "believe that I belong to you absolutely, and that I belong only to you". [23]

The Flowers of Evil

Baudelaire was a slow and fastidious worker, often sidetracked by indolence, emotional distress and illness, and it was not until 1857 that he published his first and most famous volume of poems, Les Fleurs du mal ("The Flowers of Evil"), originally titled Les Limbes. Les Fleurs du mal (literal trans "The Flowers of Evil" is a volume of French Poetry by Charles Baudelaire. [24]Some of these poems had already appeared in the Revue des deux mondes ("Review of Two Worlds"), when they were published by Baudelaire's friend Auguste Poulet Malassis, who had inherited a printing business at Alençon. The Revue des Deux Mondes (Review of the Two Worlds is a monthly literary and cultural affairs Magazine published in the French language. Paul Emmanuel Auguste Poulet-Malassis (March 16 1825 &ndash February 11 1878 was a French printer and Publisher who lived and worked in Paris Printing is a process for reproducing text and image typically with ink on Paper using a printing press Alençon is a town and commune in Normandy, France, préfecture (capital of the Orne department.

The poems found a small, appreciative audience, but greater public attention was given to their subject matter. The effect on fellow artists was, as Théodore de Banville stated, "immense, prodigious, unexpected, mingled with admiration and with some indefinable anxious fear". [25]Flaubert, recently attacked in a similar fashion for Madame Bovary (and acquitted), was impressed and wrote Baudelaire: "You have found a way to rejuvenate Romanticism. Madame Bovary is a Novel by Gustave Flaubert, who was attacked for obscenity by public prosecutors when it was first serialized in La Revue de . . You are as unyielding as marble, and as penetrating as an English mist". [26]

The principal themes of sex and death were considered scandalous. Generally speaking human sexuality is how people experience and express themselves as sexual beings Death is the termination of the biological functions that define living Organisms It refers both to a specific He also touched on lesbianism, sacred and profane love, metamorphosis, melancholy, the corruption of the city, lost innocence, the oppressiveness of living and wine. A lesbian is a Woman who is romantically or sexually attracted only to other women Notable in some poems is Baudelaire's use of imagery of the sense of smell and of fragrances, which is used to evoke feelings of nostalgia and past intimacy. The term nostalgia describes a longing for the past often in idealized form [27]

The book, however, quickly became a byword for unwholesomeness among mainstream critics of the day. The word critic comes from the Greek el κριτικός ( el-Latn kritikós) "able to discern" which in turn derives from the word Some critics called a few of the poems "masterpieces of passion, art and poetry" but other poems were deemed to merit no less than legal action to suppress them. [28]J. Habas writing in Le Figaro, led the charge against Baudelaire, writing: "Everything in it which is not hideous is incomprehensible, everything one understands is putrid". Le Figaro is one of the leading French morning daily Newspapers Its editorial line is conservative and has generally been supportive of Then Baudelaire responded to the outcry, in a prophetic letter to his mother:

"You know that I have always considered that literature and the arts pursue an aim independent of morality. Beauty of conception and style is enough for me. But this book, whose title (Fleurs du mal) says everything, is clad, as you will see, in a cold and sinister beauty. It was created with rage and patience. Besides, the proof of its positive worth is in all the ill that they speak of it. The book enrages people. Moreover, since I was terrified myself of the horror that I should inspire, I cut out a third from the proofs. They deny me everything, the spirit of invention and even the knowledge of the French language. I don't care a rap about all these imbeciles, and I know that this book, with its virtues and its faults, will make its way in the memory of the lettered public, beside the best poems of V. Hugo, Th. Gautier and even Byron. " [29]

Baudelaire, his publisher and the printer were successfully prosecuted for creating an offense against public morals. Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of Literature or Information &ndash the activity of making information available for public view A printer is a company that provides commercial Printing services often also offering Typesetting and Book-binding services Morality (from the Latin la moralitas "manner character proper behavior" has three principal meanings They were fined but Baudelaire was not imprisoned. [30]Six of the poems were suppressed, but printed later as Les Épaves ("The Wrecks") (Brussels, 1866). Brussels (Bruxelles pronounced; Brussel pronounced) officially the Brussels Capital-Region, is Another edition of Les Fleurs du mal, without these poems, but with considerable additions, appeared in 1861. Many notables rallied behind Baudelaire and condemned the sentence. Victor Hugo wrote him: "Your fleur du mal shine and dazzle like stars. Victor-Marie Hugo ( ( February 26, 1802 – May 22, 1885) was a French Poet, Playwright, Novelist . . I applaud your vigorous spirit with all my might". [31]Baudelaire did not appeal the judgment but his fine was reduced. Nearly 100 years later, on May 11, 1949, Baudelaire was vindicated, the judgment officially reversed, and the six banned poems reinstated in France. [31]

In the poem "Au lecteur" ("To the Reader") that prefaces Les Fleurs du mal, Baudelaire accuses his readers of hypocrisy and of being as guilty of sins and lies as the poet:

. Hypocrisy (or the state of being a hypocrite) is the act of preaching a certain belief religion or way of life but not in fact holding these same virtues oneself Sin is a term used mainly in a religious context to describe an act that violates a moral Rule, or the state of having committed such a violation . . If rape or arson, poison or the knife
Has wove no pleasing patterns in the stuff
Of this drab canvas we accept as life -
It is because we are not bold enough!
(Roy Campbell's translation)

Final years

Baudelaire next worked on a translation and adaptation of De Quincey's Confessions of an English Opium Eater. Rape, also referred to as Sexual assault, is an Assault by a person involving Sexual intercourse with or Sexual penetration of another person In the context of Biology, poisons are substances that can cause damage, Illness, or Death to Organisms usually by A knife is a handheld sharp-edged instrument consisting of handle attached to a Blade used for cutting Canvas is an extremely heavy-duty plain-woven fabric used for making Sails Tents Marquees Backpacks and other functions Translation is the interpreting of the meaning of a text and the subsequent production of an equivalent text likewise called a " translation Thomas de Quincey (15 August 1785 &ndash 8 December 1859 was an English author and intellectual best known for his Confessions of an English Opium-Eater Confessions of an English Opium-Eater ( 1821) is an autobiographical account written by Thomas De Quincey, about his Laudanum ( [32]Other works in the years that followed included Petits Poèmes en prose ("Small Prose poems"); a series of art reviews published in the Pays, Exposition universelle ("Country, World Fair"); studies on Gustave Flaubert (in L'Artiste, October 18, 1857); on Théophile Gautier (Revue contemporaine, September, 1858); various articles contributed to Eugene Crepet's Poètes francais; Les Paradis artificiels: opium et haschisch ("French poets; Artificial Paradises: opium and hashish") (1860); and Un Dernier Chapitre de l'histoire des oeuvres de Balzac ("A Final Chapter of the history of works of Balzac") (1880), originally an article entitled "Comment on paye ses dettes quand on a du génie" ("How one pays one's debts when one has genius"), in which his criticism turns against his friends Honoré de Balzac, Théophile Gautier, and Gérard de Nerval. Le spleen de Paris, also known as Paris Spleen or Petits Poèmes en prose, is a collection of 51 short prose poems by This article refers to a poetic form For the competitive speech event see Prose & Poetry. Gustave Flaubert (gystaːv flobɛːʁ in French ( December 12, 1821 &ndash May 8, 1880) was a French writer who is counted among L’Artiste is a weekly illustrated Review published from 1831 to 1904 Events 1009 - The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, a Christian church in Jerusalem, is completely destroyed by the Fatimid Click here for Indian Rebellion of 1857 Year 1857 ( MDCCCLVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the See also Pierre Jules Théophile Gautier ( August 30, 1811 – October 23, 1872) was a French Poet, Dramatist See also Pierre Jules Théophile Gautier ( August 30, 1811 – October 23, 1872) was a French Poet, Dramatist Gérard de Nerval (ʒeʁaːʁ də nɛʁval ( May 22, 1808 &ndash January 26, 1855) was the Nom-de-plume of the

Jeanne Duval, in a painting by Édouard Manet
Jeanne Duval, in a painting by Édouard Manet

By 1859, his illnesses, his long-term use of laudanum, his life of stress and poverty had taken a toll and Baudelaire had aged noticeably. Jeanne Duval (French ʒan dyˈval was a mixed race actress dancer and Muse to French poet and art critic Charles Baudelaire, for twenty years But at last, his mother relented and agreed to let him live with her for a while at Honfleur. Honfleur is a commune in the Norman département of Calvados in France, located on the southern bank of the estuary Baudelaire was productive and at peace in the seaside town, his poem Le Voyage being one example of his efforts during that time. [33]In 1860, he became an ardent supporter of Richard Wagner.

His financial difficulties increased again, however, particularly after his publisher Poulet Malassis went bankrupt in 1861. In 1864, he left Paris for Belgium, partly in the hope of selling the rights to his works and also to give lectures. The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those Copyright is a legal concept enacted by Governments, giving the creator of an original work of authorship Exclusive rights to control its distribution usually for [34] His long-standing relationship with Jeanne Duval continued on-and-off, and he helped her to the end of his life. Jeanne Duval (French ʒan dyˈval was a mixed race actress dancer and Muse to French poet and art critic Charles Baudelaire, for twenty years Baudelaire's relationships with actress Marie Daubrun and with courtesan Apollonie Sabatier, though the source of much inspiration, never produced any lasting satisfaction. He smoked opium, and in Brussels he began to drink to excess. Opium is a Narcotic formed from the Latex (ie sap released by lacerating (or "scoring" the immature seed pods of opium poppies ( Alcoholism is a term with multiple and sometimes conflicting definitions Baudelaire suffered a massive stroke in 1866 and paralysis followed. A stroke is the rapidly developing loss of brain functions due to a disturbance in the blood vessels supplying blood to the brain Paralysed redirects here For other uses see xx Paralysed (disambiguation Paralysis is the complete loss of Muscle function The last two years of his life were spent, in a semi-paralyzed state, in "maisons de santé" in Brussels and in Paris, where he died on August 31, 1867. Events 1056 - Byzantine Empress Theodora becomes ill dying suddenly a few days later without children to succeed the Throne Year 1867 ( MDCCCLXVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Baudelaire is buried in the Cimetière du Montparnasse, Paris. Montparnasse Cemetery ( French: Cimetière de Montparnasse) is a famous cemetery in the Montparnasse quarter of Paris, part of the

Many of Baudelaire's works were published posthumously. After his death, his mother paid off his substantial debts. For all her suffering over her son's life, at last she found some comfort in Baudelaire's emerging fame. "I see that my son, for all his faults, has his place in literature". She lived another four years. [35]

Associations

Baudelaire was an active participant in the artistic life of his times. As critic and essayist, he wrote extensively and perceptively about the luminaries and themes of French culture. He was frank with friends and enemies, rarely took the diplomatic approach and sometimes responded violently verbally, which often undermined his cause. [36] His associations were numerous and included: Gustave Courbet, Honoré Daumier, Franz Liszt, Champfleury, Victor Hugo, Gustave Flaubert, Balzac and the artists and writers that follow. For the French Admiral see Admiral Courbet (1828-1885 Jean Désiré Gustave Courbet ( 10 June 1819 &ndash Honoré Daumier ( February 26, 1808 &ndash February 10, 1879) was a French Printmaker, Caricaturist, Jules François Felix Fleury-Husson (1820 Laon - 1889 Sèvres) who wrote under the name Champfleury, was a French art critic and novelist a prominent Victor-Marie Hugo ( ( February 26, 1802 – May 22, 1885) was a French Poet, Playwright, Novelist Gustave Flaubert (gystaːv flobɛːʁ in French ( December 12, 1821 &ndash May 8, 1880) was a French writer who is counted among

Poe

In 1846 and 1847, Baudelaire became acquainted with the works of Edgar Allan Poe, in which he found tales and poems that had, he claimed, long existed in his own brain but never taken shape. Edgar Allan Poe (January 19 1809 – October 7 1849 was an American poet, short-story Writer, editor and Literary critic, Baudelaire had much in common with Poe (who died in 1849 at age forty). Both had a similar sensibility and macabre and supernatural turn of mind; both struggled with illness, poverty, and melancholy. Baudelaire saw in Poe a precursor and tried to be "his heir in all things". [37]From this time until 1865, he was largely occupied with translating Poe's works; his translations were widely praised. Baudelaire was not the first French translator of Poe, but his "scrupulous translations" were considered among the best. These were published as Histoires extraordinaires ("Extraordinary stories") (1852), Nouvelles histoires extraordinaires ("New extraordinary stories") (1857), Aventures d'Arthur Gordon Pym, Eureka, and Histoires grotesques et sérieuses ("Grotesque and serious stories") (1865). The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket is Edgar Allan Poe 's only complete Novel, published in 1838. Eureka (1848 is a lengthy Non-fiction work by American author Edgar Allan Poe which he subtitled "A Prose Poem," though it has Year 1865 ( MDCCCLXV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Two essays on Poe are to be found in his Oeuvres complètes ("Complete works") (vols. An essay is usually a short piece of writing It is often written from an author's personal point of view. v. and vi. ). In fact, only after Poe's translated works became popular in France, did American readers take a liking to the English version.

Delacroix

A strong supporter of the Romantic painter Eugène Delacroix, Baudelaire called him "a poet in painting". Ferdinand Victor Eugène Delacroix (26 April 1798 &ndash 13 August 1863 was a French Romantic artist regarded from the outset of his career as the leader of Baudelaire also absorbed much of Delacroix's aesthetic ideas as expressed in his journals. As Baudelaire elaborated in his Salon of 1846, "As one contemplates his series of pictures, one seems to be attending the celebration of some grievous mystery. . . This grave and lofty melancholy shines with a dull light. . . plaintive and profound like a melody by Weber". [18]Delacroix, though appreciative, kept his distance from Baudelaire, particularly after the scandal of Les Fleurs du mal. In private correspondence, Delacroix stated that Baudelaire "really gets on my nerves" and he expressed his unhappiness with Baudelaire's persistent comments about "melancholy" and "feverishness". [38]

Wagner

Baudelaire had no formal musical training, and knew little of composers beyond Beethoven and Carl Maria von Weber. Ludwig van Beethoven ( English ˈlʊdvɪg væn ˈbeɪtoʊvən, 16 December 1770 &ndash 26 March 1827 was a German Composer and Pianist. Carl Maria Friedrich Ernst von Weber ( 18 December 1786 in Eutin, Holstein, Germany - 5 June 1826 in London Weber was in some ways Wagner's precursor, using the leitmotif and conceiving the idea of the "total art work" ("Gesamtkunstwerk"), both of which found Baudelaire's admiration. A leitmotif (ˌlaɪtmoʊˈtiːf (also leitmotiv; lit "leading motif" is a recurring Musical theme, associated with a particular person place Before even hearing Wagner's music, Baudelaire studied reviews and essays about him, and formulated his impressions. Later, Baudelaire's put them into his non-technical analysis of Wagner, which was highly regarded, particularly his essay Richard Wagner et Tannhäuser a Pàris. [39] Baudelaire's reaction to music was passionate and psychological. "Music engulfs (possesses) me like the sea". [39]After attending three Wagner concerts in Paris in 1860, Baudelaire wrote the composer: "I had a feeling of pride and joy in understanding, in being possessed, in being overwhelmed, a truly sensual pleasure like that of rising in the air". [40] Baudelaire's writings contributed to the elevation of Wagner and to the cult of Wagnerism that swept Europe in the following decades. Wagnerism has a number of meanings the philosophical ideals put forward by Richard Wagner which indicate the traits of a "true"

Gautier

Théophile Gautier, writer and poet, earned Baudelaire's respect for his perfection of form and his mastery of language, though Baudelaire thought he lacked deeper emotion and spirituality. See also Pierre Jules Théophile Gautier ( August 30, 1811 – October 23, 1872) was a French Poet, Dramatist Both strove to express the artist's inner vision, which Heinrich Heine had earlier stated: "In artistic matters, I am a supernaturalist. Christian Johann Heinrich Heine ( December 13, 1797 – February 17, 1856) was a Journalist, Essayist and one of the I believe that the artist can not find all his forms in nature, but that the most remarkable are revealed to him in his soul". [41]Gautier's frequent meditations on death and the horror of life are themes which influenced Baudelaire writings. In gratitude for their friendship and commonality of vision, Baudelaire dedicated Les Fleurs du mal to Gautier.

Manet

Edouard Manet and Baudelaire became constant companions starting around 1855. In the early 1860s, Baudelaire accompanied Manet on daily sketching trips and often met him socially. He also lent Baudelaire money and looked after his affairs, particularly when Baudelaire went to Belgium. Baudelaire encouraged Manet to strike his own path and not succumb to criticism. "Manet has great talent, a talent which will stand the test of time. But he has a weak character. He seems to me crushed and stunned by shock". [42] In his painting L'Atelier, Manet includes portraits of his friends Théophile Gautier, Jacques Offenbach, and Baudelaire. See also Pierre Jules Théophile Gautier ( August 30, 1811 – October 23, 1872) was a French Poet, Dramatist Jacques Offenbach (born Jacob Offenbach 20 June 1819 in Cologne &ndash 5 October 1880 in Paris) was a German [43]While its difficult to differentiate who influenced whom, both Manet and Baudelaire discussed and expressed some common themes through their respective arts. Baudelaire praised the modernity of Manet's subject matter: "almost all our originality comes from the stamp that 'time' imprints upon our feelings". [44]When Manet's famous Olympia (1865), a portrait of a nude courtesan, provoked a scandal for its blatant realism, Baudelaire worked privately to support his friend, though he offered no public defense (though he was ill at the time). When Baudelaire returned from Belgium after his stroke, Manet and his wife were frequent visitors at the nursing home and she would play passages from Wagner for Baudelaire on the piano. [45]

Nadar

Nadar (Félix Tournachon) was a noted caricaturist, scientist and important early photographer. Baudelaire admired Nadar, one of his closest friends, and wrote: "Nadar is the most amazing manifestation of vitality". [46]They moved in similar circles and Baudelaire made many social connections through him. Nadar's ex-mistress Jeanne Duval became Baudelaire's life-long mistress around 1842. Jeanne Duval (French ʒan dyˈval was a mixed race actress dancer and Muse to French poet and art critic Charles Baudelaire, for twenty years Baudelaire became interested in photography in the 1850s and denounced it as an art form and advocated for its return to "its real purpose, which is that of being the servant to the sciences and arts". Photography (fә'tɒgrәfi or fә'tɑːgrәfi (from Greek φωτο and γραφία is the process and Art of recording pictures by means of capturing Photography should not, according to Baudelaire, encroach upon "the domain of the impalpable and the imaginary". [47]Nadar remained a stalwart friend right to Baudelaire's last days and wrote his obituary notice in Le Figaro. Le Figaro is one of the leading French morning daily Newspapers Its editorial line is conservative and has generally been supportive of

Philosophy

Many of Baudelaire's philosophical proclamations were considered scandalous and intentionally provocative in his time. He wrote on a wide range of subjects, drawing criticism and outrage from many quarters.

Love

"There is an invincible taste for prostitution in the heart of man, from which comes his horror of solitude. He wants to be 'two'. The man of genius wants to be 'one'. . . It is this horror of solitude, the need to lose oneself in the external flesh, that man nobly calls 'the need to love'. " [48]

Marriage

"Unable to suppress love, the Church wanted at least to disinfect it, and it created marriage. " [48]

The artist

"The more a man cultivates the arts, the less randy he becomes. . . Only the brute is good at coupling, and copulation is the lyricism of the masses. To copulate is to enter into another -- and the artist never emerges from himself. " [48]

"Style is character"

Pleasure

"Personally, I think that the unique and supreme delight lies in the certainty of doing 'evil' -- and men and women know from birth that all pleasure lies in evil. " [48]

Nature

"I should like the fields tinged with red, the rivers yellow and the trees painted blue. Nature has no imagination. " [49]

Politics

"I have no convictions, as they are understood by the men of my century, because I have no ambition. . . However, I have some convictions, in a nobler sense, which cannot be understood by the men of my time". [19]

Influence

Portrait by Gustave Courbet, 1848.
Portrait by Gustave Courbet, 1848. For the French Admiral see Admiral Courbet (1828-1885 Jean Désiré Gustave Courbet ( 10 June 1819 &ndash

Baudelaire's influence on the direction of modern French (and English) language literature was considerable. The most significant French writers to come after him were generous with tributes; four years after his death, Arthur Rimbaud praised him in a letter as 'the king of poets, a true God'. "Rimbaud" redirects here For other uses see Rimbaud (disambiguation Jean Nicolas Arthur Rimbaud (ræm'boʊ or in French aʁtyʁ [50] In 1895, Stéphane Mallarmé published a sonnet in Baudelaire's memory, 'Le Tombeau de Charles Baudelaire'. Year 1895 ( MDCCCXCV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Stéphane Mallarmé (malaʁ'me ( March 18, 1842 – September 9, 1898) whose real name was Étienne Mallarmé, was a French Marcel Proust, in an essay published in 1922, stated that along with Alfred de Vigny, Baudelaire was 'the greatest poet of the nineteenth century'. Valentin Louis Georges Eugène Marcel Proust (maʁsɛl pʁust (10 July 1871 &ndash 18 November 1922 was a French Novelist Essayist and Critic Year 1922 ( MCMXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Alfred Victor de Vigny ( March 27, 1797 &ndash September 17, 1863) was a French Poet, Playwright, and Novelist [51]

In the English-speaking world, Edmund Wilson credited Baudelaire as providing an initial impetus for the Symbolist movement, by virtue of his translations of Poe. Edmund Wilson ( May 8, 1895 &ndash June 12 1972) was an American Writer and Symbolism was a late nineteenth-century Art movement of French and Belgian origin in poetry and other arts [52] In 1930 T. S. Eliot, while asserting that Baudelaire had not yet received a "just appreciation" even in France, claimed that the poet had "great genius" and asserted that his "technical mastery which can hardly be overpraised. Year 1930 ( MCMXXX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Thomas Stearns Eliot, OM (September 26 1888 – January 4 1965 was a poet Dramatist, and Literary critic. . . has made his verse an inexhaustible study for later poets, not only in his own language". [53]

At the same time that Eliot was affirming Baudelaire's importance from a broadly conservative and explicitly Christian viewpoint,[54] left-wing critics such as Wilson and Walter Benjamin were able to do so from a dramatically different perspective. Conservatism is a term used to describe political philosophies that favour Tradition, where tradition refers to various religious cultural or nationally defined Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Walter Bendix Schönflies Benjamin ( July 15, 1892 &ndash September 27, 1940) was a German - Jewish Marxist Benjamin translated Baudelaire's Tableaux Parisiens into German and published a major essay on translation[55] as the foreword.

In the late 1930s, Benjamin used Baudelaire as a starting point and focus for his monumental attempt at a materialist assessment of 19th century culture, Das Passagenwerk. The 1930s were described as an abrupt shift to more radical and conservative lifestyles as countries were struggling to find a solution to the Great Depression. Historical materialism is the methodological approach to the study of society economics and history which was first articulated by Karl Marx ( 1818 - 1883 The Passagenwerk or Arcades Project was Walter Benjamin 's unfinished lifelong project an enormous collection of writings on the city life [56] For Benjamin, Baudelaire's importance lay in his anatomies of the crowd, of the city and of modernity. A crowd is a group of people. The crowd may have a common purpose or set of emotions such as at a political rally, at a Sports game, or during Looting A city is an Urban area with a large Population and a particular Administrative, Legal, or Historical status Modernity is a term that refers to the Modern era. It is distinct from Modernism, and in different contexts refers to cultural and intellectual movements of the [57]

Baudelaire was also an influence on H. P. Lovecraft, serving as a model for Lovecraft's decadent and evil characters in both "The Hound" and "Hypnos". Howard Phillips Lovecraft ( August 20, 1890 – March 15, 1937) was an American author of horror, fantasy

See also

Baudelaire signature
Baudelaire signature

Bibliography

Tomb of Baudelaire
Tomb of Baudelaire

Online texts

References

  1. ^ Joanna Richardson, "Baudelaire", St. Martin's Press, New York, 1994, pp. 13-14, ISBN 0-312-11476-1.
  2. ^ Richardson 1994, p. 16
  3. ^ Richardson 1994, p. 23
  4. ^ Richardson 1994, p. 30, 32
  5. ^ Richardson 1994, p. 35
  6. ^ Richardson 1994, p. 42
  7. ^ Richardson 1994, p. 46
  8. ^ Richardson 1994, p. 52
  9. ^ Richardson 1994, pp. 55-57
  10. ^ Richardson 1994, p. 60
  11. ^ Richardson 1994, pp. 67-68
  12. ^ Richardson 1994, p. 70
  13. ^ Richardson 1994, p. 71
  14. ^ Richardson 1994, p. 75
  15. ^ Richardson 1994, p. 83
  16. ^ Richardson 1994, p. 95
  17. ^ Richardson 1994, pp. 101-102.
  18. ^ a b Richardson 1994, p. 110.
  19. ^ a b Richardson 1994, p. 127.
  20. ^ Richardson 1994, p. 125.
  21. ^ Richardson 1994, p. 160.
  22. ^ Richardson 1994, p. 181.
  23. ^ Richardson 1994, p. 219.
  24. ^ Richardson 1994, p. 191.
  25. ^ Richardson 1994, p. 236.
  26. ^ Richardson 1994, p. 241.
  27. ^ Richardson 1994, p. 231.
  28. ^ Richardson 1994, pp. 232-237.
  29. ^ Richardson 1994, p. 238.
  30. ^ Richardson 1994, p. 248
  31. ^ a b Richardson 1994, p. 250.
  32. ^ Richardson 1994, p. 311.
  33. ^ Richardson 1994, p. 281.
  34. ^ Richardson 1994, p. 400.
  35. ^ Richardson 1994, p. 497.
  36. ^ Richardson 1994, p. 268.
  37. ^ Richardson 1994, p. 140.
  38. ^ Lois Boe Hyslop, "Baudelaire, Man Of His Time", Yale University Press, 1980, p. 14, ISBN 0-300-02513-0.
  39. ^ a b Hyslop (1980), p. 68.
  40. ^ Hyslop (1980), p. 69.
  41. ^ Hyslop (1980), p. 131.
  42. ^ Hyslop (1980), p. 55.
  43. ^ Hyslop (1980), p. 50.
  44. ^ Hyslop (1980), p. 53.
  45. ^ Hyslop (1980), p. 51.
  46. ^ Hyslop (1980), p. 65.
  47. ^ Hyslop (1980), p. 63.
  48. ^ a b c d Richardson 1994, p. 50
  49. ^ Richardson 1994, p. 116.
  50. ^ Rimbaud, Arthur: Oeuvres complètes, p. 253, NRF/Gallimard, 1972.
  51. ^ 'Concerning Baudelaire' in Proust, Marcel: Against Sainte-Beuve and Other Essays, p. 286, trans. John Sturrock, Penguin, 1994.
  52. ^ Wilson, Edmund: Axel's Castle, p. 20, Fontana, 1962 (originally published 1931).
  53. ^ 'Baudelaire', in Eliot, T. S. : Selected Essays, pp. 422 and 425, Faber & Faber, 1961.
  54. ^ cf. Eliot, 'Religion in Literature', in Eliot, op. cit. , p. 388.
  55. ^ 'The Task of the Translator', in Benjamin, Walter: Selected Writings Vol. 1: 1913-1926, pp. 253-263, Belknap/Harvard, 1996.
  56. ^ Benjamin, Walter: The Arcades Project, trans. Howard Eiland and Kevin McLaughlin, Belknap/Harvard, 1999.
  57. ^ 'The Paris of the Second Empire in Baudelaire' in Benjamin, Walter: Selected Writings Vol. 4 1938-1940, pp. 3-92, Belknap/Harvard, 2003.

External links

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Persondata
NAME Baudelaire, Charles
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Baudelaire, Charles Pierre
SHORT DESCRIPTION
DATE OF BIRTH April 9, 1821
PLACE OF BIRTH Paris, France
DATE OF DEATH August 31, 1867
PLACE OF DEATH Paris

Events 193 - Septimius Severus is proclaimed Roman Emperor by the army in Illyricum (in the Balkans) Year 1821 ( MDCCCXXI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Events 1056 - Byzantine Empress Theodora becomes ill dying suddenly a few days later without children to succeed the Throne Year 1867 ( MDCCCLXVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city
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