Charles-Pierre Baudelaire was born April 9, 1821. His father, more than twice the age of his mother, died just six years after his birth. Shortly thereafter his mother remarried to a man much closer to her age, Major Jacques Aupick. A brilliant, self disciplined man, Aupick would soon establish himself as a general, an ambassador, and also a senator; but despite his accomplishments, he gained an extreme dislike from his stepson.

At the age of 12, Baudelaire was moved to Lyons where he was sent to a military boarding school. The strict regulations and dem

Like many other writers in his period, Baudelaire, due to his theory of beauty and its role in poetry, would succumb to the conclusion that the “perfect type of masculine beauty was Satan”. This concept is exposed in Les fleurs du mal, the theme of which is the conflict between good and evil. He emphasizes the duality of man, which suggests that one half of his nature is directed towards God, and the other, towards Satan. He would however maintain that man’s spiritual disease would consequently declare Satan as victor. Hence, evil prevails over good. He further demonstrated this notion in the first poem of Les fleurs du mal, entitled Au lecteur, where he writes “C'est le Diable qui tient les fils qui nous remuent”, or simply, “It is the devil who holds the strings that move us” [2 (pp 35-57)].

Charles Baudelaire died unrecognized in his mother’s arms August 31, 1867. Although many of his works remained unpublished, and others being out of print, Baudelaire had become, by the twentieth century, widely recognized as one the greatest French poets of the nineteenth century [2 (pp 25-30)]. A poet who was unafraid to challenge the moral and social standards of his time, Baudelaire was claimed revolutionist of sensibility and way of thinking and writing throughout Western Europe. The mastery in manipulation of dreams, myth and symbolism earned him the status of the father of modern poetry.

anding study habits of the school deeply influenced Baudelaire and further increased his abhorrence towards his stepfather. And three years later while enrolled at a well-known French high school in Louis-le-Grand, he grew even more insolent until he was finally expelled in 1839 [1 (pp 13-30)]. It was soon afterwards that Baudelaire declared, much to the chagrin of his parents, his intent to become a writer.

Some topics in this essay:
Poe Baudelaire, Apollonie Sabatier, Jacques Aupick, Charles Baudelaire, India Cutting, Correspondances Baudelaire’s, Flowers Evil, Charles-Pierre Baudelaire, Samuel Cramer, Allan Poe, du mal, les fleurs du, fleurs du mal, fleurs du, les fleurs, 2 pp, la fanfarlo, modern poetry, nineteenth century, charles baudelaire, romantic reverence, consistent throughout,