Charles Baudelaire

Charles Baudelaire

Home | ~The Ransom~

Charles Baudelaire

Life: 1821-1867

Country: France

Style: French Poet

Works: “Les Fleurs du Mal” (1857)

“Black Venus” (1842)

Quote: “It is by universal misunderstanding that all agree. For if, by ill luck, people understood each other, they would never agree.”

“Genius is Childhood recalled at will.”

Fun Fact: Francisco Goya inspired Baudelaire's poem “Les Fleurs du Mal”. Baudelaire once said that “Goya is always a great and often a terrifying artist.”

Beauty

Conceive me as a dream of stone:
my breast, where mortals come to grief,
is made to prompt all poets' love,
mute and noble as matter itself.

With snow for flesh, with ice for heart,
I sit on high, an unguessed sphinx
begrudging acts that alter forms;
I never laugh, I never weep.

In studious awe the poets brood
before my monumental pose
aped from the proudest pedestal,
and to bind these docile lovers fast
I freeze the world in a perfect mirror:

The timeless light of my wide eyes.

When Baudelaire opens the door your eyebrows furrow, confused. There are paintings on the walls but they are all famous; and you know that it wasn’t Baudelaire who painted them. Why would Manet send you to this man who, it seems, is only a poet?

“I know, I know…a poet, right? How could a poet have anything to do with a string of painters? Well, poetry is art too. Not the kind you can see definitely, but the kind each person can create in their own mind. I see one thing as I write my poems, but each reader sees another thing…poetry lets everyone be their own artist of sorts. And none of the paintings that people see in their mind are right or wrong. It’s like modern art, right? The artist has some kind of meaning they want to put into their work, but everyone interprets the work in their own way, seeing the true meaning a little differently. Like a good passage from Shakespeare,” Baudelaire says to you.

“Okay,” you say, still unsure about this man, “But do you know anything about Chucky? That is why I am here. If you are truly an artist you should be able to help me.”

“Well, I am truly an artist, I assure you of that, but I can’t help you any more than Manet was able to. You see, we are all connected but it doesn’t mean that we are all friends and that we know all of each other’s affairs. It’s like a bunch of students in a school. If you are a Goth, then chances are that you know the rest of the Goths pretty well but that you don’t know the jocks all that well. It is the same with us—I know my group pretty well but I don’t know everyone. That is why I cannot tell you exactly who it was that took Chucky. I can, however, give you the name of a friend who might be able to give you the name of another acquaintance and so on until you discover your friend.”

“The man who I think would best be able to help you, is Goya, who you will be happy to know is just a plain old artist. Anyway, I wrote in my work, The Painter of Modern Life, that ‘Goya is always a great and often a terrifying artist’ (3). Such a powerful artist would also have strong connections that might help you. Did you know that it was Goya, actually some of his etchings, but anyway it was Goya who inspired my poem “Les Fleurs du Mal” (3)?”

“Or maybe Courbet can help you. I met him at the Brasserie Andler, the Temple of Realism. Also, during the French Revolution of 1848, Courbet did a front-page drawing for my revolutionary magazine, “La Salut Public” (5). We’re good friends—maybe he can help you.”

“Well, so do you have anyone else who inspired you? I mean, friends and all are nice and I’m sure that they might be able to help me, but is their anyone else? Maybe someone who influenced you?” you ask.

“Well, if your heart’s set on that, then try Delacroix. He inspired me too.”

“Poets,” you say out loud, “how weird. Why should you have to interpret their writing? Dickens stated all his themes right in the middle of his writing and people still consider him one of the best writers of all time. Why on earth do we need poems?!”






		Charles Baudelaire Life: 1821-1867 Country: France Style: French Poet Works: “Les Fleurs du Mal” (1857) “Black Venus” (1842) Quote: “It is by universal misunderstanding that all agree. For if, by ill luck, people understood each other, they would never agree.” “Genius is Childhood recalled at will.” Fun Fact: Francisco Goya inspired Baudelaire's poem “Les Fleurs du Mal”. Baudelaire once said that “Goya is always a great and often a terrifying artist.” Beauty Conceive me as a dream of stone: my breast, where mortals come to grief, is made to prompt all poets' love, mute and noble as matter itself. With snow for flesh, with ice for heart, I sit on high, an unguessed sphinx begrudging acts that alter forms; I never laugh, I never weep. In studious awe the poets brood before my monumental pose aped from the proudest pedestal, and to bind these docile lovers fast I freeze the world in a perfect mirror: The timeless light of my wide eyes.						When Baudelaire opens the door your eyebrows furrow, confused. There are paintings on the walls but they are all famous; and you know that it wasn’t Baudelaire who painted them. Why would Manet send you to this man who, it seems, is only a poet? “I know, I know…a poet, right? How could a poet have anything to do with a string of painters? Well, poetry is art too. Not the kind you can see definitely, but the kind each person can create in their own mind. I see one thing as I write my poems, but each reader sees another thing…poetry lets everyone be their own artist of sorts. And none of the paintings that people see in their mind are right or wrong. It’s like modern art, right? The artist has some kind of meaning they want to put into their work, but everyone interprets the work in their own way, seeing the true meaning a little differently. Like a good passage from Shakespeare,” Baudelaire says to you. “Okay,” you say, still unsure about this man, “But do you know anything about Chucky? That is why I am here. If you are truly an artist you should be able to help me.” “Well, I am truly an artist, I assure you of that, but I can’t help you any more than Manet was able to. You see, we are all connected but it doesn’t mean that we are all friends and that we know all of each other’s affairs. It’s like a bunch of students in a school. If you are a Goth, then chances are that you know the rest of the Goths pretty well but that you don’t know the jocks all that well. It is the same with us—I know my group pretty well but I don’t know everyone. That is why I cannot tell you exactly who it was that took Chucky. I can, however, give you the name of a friend who might be able to give you the name of another acquaintance and so on until you discover your friend.” “The man who I think would best be able to help you, is Goya, who you will be happy to know is just a plain old artist. Anyway, I wrote in my work, The Painter of Modern Life, that ‘Goya is always a great and often a terrifying artist’ (3). Such a powerful artist would also have strong connections that might help you. Did you know that it was Goya, actually some of his etchings, but anyway it was Goya who inspired my poem “Les Fleurs du Mal” (3)?” Francisco de Goya “Or maybe Courbet can help you. I met him at the Brasserie Andler, the Temple of Realism. Also, during the French Revolution of 1848, Courbet did a front-page drawing for my revolutionary magazine, “La Salut Public” (5). We’re good friends—maybe he can help you.” Gustave Courbet “Well, so do you have anyone else who inspired you? I mean, friends and all are nice and I’m sure that they might be able to help me, but is their anyone else? Maybe someone who influenced you?” you ask. “Well, if your heart’s set on that, then try Delacroix. He inspired me too.” Eugéne Delacroix “Poets,” you say out loud, “how weird. Why should you have to interpret their writing? Dickens stated all his themes right in the middle of his writing and people still consider him one of the best writers of all time. Why on earth do we need poems?!”



		RESOURCES: