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Baudelaire
Charles Baudelaire was born in Paris in 1821. He originally pursued a career in law, but became dissatisfied and instead embarked on his writing career. Baudelaire is well-known for addressing "themes of sex, death, lesbianism, metamorphosis, depression, urban corruption, lost innocence and alcohol," ("Charles Baudelaire: Biography"). These were not only subjects Baudelaire understood himself, but were also reflective of the public experience with modernization and urbanization. Baudelaire's most famous work is a book, which is a compilation of poems entitled Les Fleurs du Mal. Baudelaire referred to the items in Les Fleurs du Mal as "scraps," indicating that Les Fleurs du Mal is a collection of diverse materials that together reflect the entire corpus of the poet's work. As one biographer points out, "Baudelaire struggled with poor health and pressing debts throughout his adult life. He moved frequently to escape creditors, making it difficult to devote himself to any one project." This is why Baudelaire's work Les Fleurs du Mal seems disjointed. The disjointed nature...
Depression is a major theme of the work, as evidence in the title, which is usually translated to English as "The Flowers of Evil." At the time of his writing, Baudelaire's work was praised for raising Romanticism to a new level, but ultimately Baudelaire's work can be viewed more as capturing the spirit of modernity with all of the attendant angst associated with urbanization, loss of traditional family structures, the ongoing experience of war, and the foregone importance of religion. Baudelaire also embodies bohemian life in modern Paris, and relates to prevailing existential philosophy and nihilism. In Les Fleurs du Mal, as in his other work, Baudelaire explores the theme of depression within the context of his personal experience with alcohol, sex, and urban decay.
Les Fleurs du Mal exemplifies the theme of depression in the modern world, showing how Baudelaire understood the psychological reactions to experiences like urbanization and moral depravity. It was also personal experiences that caused Baudelaire to…
References
Baudelaire, C. (1861; 1998). Les Fleurs du Mal. Excerpts online at: http://www.press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/039250.html
"Charles Baudelaire: Biography," Biography. Retrieved online: http://www.biography.com/people/charles-baudelaire-39436
Mills, K.O. (n.d.). Charles Baudelaire. Poetry Foundation. Retrieved online: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/charles-baudelaire
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