Les Fleurs Du Mal Initial Summary 196ak

Baudelaire (1821 – 1867) – Les Fleurs du Mal 3 – Élévation 5 verses of 4 lines, ABBA, imagery focuses on the sky - seeking ‘elevation’ to a celestial higher level and to be elevated away from the underlying failures of society (miasmes morbides, vastes chagrins) 7 – La Muse Malade Sonnet, melancholy tone used to describe the death of a muse, graphic imagery particularly in first two stanzas. Many references to religion: paganism (succubus), Christianity, Greek mythology 10 – L’Ennemi Sonnet, time is personified and dominates the poem as a basis for the changing weather and seasons described. Contrast between hope and hopelessness within verses. Time es too fast for Baudelaire 19 – La Géante Sonnet. Baudelaire imagines his life living next to a giantess, expressing the beauty he regards for her and things of such monumental size 21 - Hymne à la Beauté 7 verses of 4 lines, ABAB, juxtapositions and paradox statements used throughout to describe the cruelty and marvel of beauty , heavy personification of beauty and horror 23 – La Chevelure 7 verses of 5 lines, ABAAB, Baudelaire uses imagery of the sea and a nautical voyage to portray the sensations of his friend’s hair 25 – “Tu mettrais l’univers entier dans ta ruelle...” 3 verses of irregular length. A very strong criticism of a woman, seemingly evil and unworthy of the great beauty of nature 28 – Le Serpent qui Danse 9 verses of 4 lines ABAB, Baudelaire describes a woman with particular detail to her features (such as hair, eyes, head, mouth) interspersed with his own feelings and the metaphor of the voyage 29 – Une Charogne 12 verses of 4 lines ABAB, the corpse of an animal is graphically described in both its horror and beauty 31 - Le Vampire 6 verses of 4 lines ABAB, the poem is used as a metaphor for love, how it is both cruel and enslaving, and only death can truly free one from it 36 – Le Balcon 6 verses of five lines ABABA, Lots of positive sensations and feelings are described from nights and soirées on the balcony 40 – Semper Eadem (Always the same) Sonnet, author expresses the sorrow and pain of unrequited love, and how he would prefer to live dreaming then face the reality and harshness of rejection 44 – Réversibilité The author questions if an angel can feel bad feelings, addressing the feelings of happiness, kindness, health and beauty that appear to form the author’s preoccupations and worries - spleen 48 – Le Flacon 7 verses of 4 lines AABB. The author describes and personifies a perfume as full of life and soul, although rejected and forgotten. 49 – Le poison 4 verses of 5 lines ABBAB, wine and opium are described as two poisons; their benefits are not worth the consequences 50 – Ciel Brouillé 4 verses AABB exclusively of masculine rhymes, using weather as metaphor for woman, perceived by the author as being mysterious, changeable, beautiful, cruel 53 – L’invitation au voyage The author dreams of travelling to an imaginary faraway utopia,

62 – Moesta et Errabunda (Sad and Wandering) 6 verses ABABA, the author questions if a voyage away from the filthiness of society to a paradise reminiscent of (his?) childhood dreams is possible to attain 66 – Les Chats Sonnet, cats are described as having two distinct personalities: mysterious and dark elements conflict with their magical appearance. 69 – La Musique Sonnet, the sea in its immensity and continuous movement is used as a metaphor to describe music. 74 – La Cloche Fêlée Sonnet, this poem expresses the transition from life by starting with a positive tone, to a hellish scene and death 75 – Spleen Sonnet, author uses a cat, a great bell, and cards to express the physical and moral ills of society 76 – Spleen Irregular form, the author describes how his memories are full of ‘spleen’ 77- Spleen The author describes himself paradoxically as a king who cannot be pleased by anything 78 – Spleen 5 verses of 4 lines ABAB, violent imagery is used expressing how nature is acting as a prison of sorts, with a morose and bleak tone 81 – L’Alchimie de la Douleur Sonnet, the author likens himself to Midas, but how everything that surrounds him becomes worse 83 - L'Héautontimorouménos 7 verses of 4 lines ABBA, the author is itting how he is ‘the executioner of himself’ 84 – L’Irremédiable 10 verses of 4 lines ABBA, macabre scenarios for objects both tangible and otherwise (such as a ship and an angel) are described in each verse, likened to the will of the devil. 85 – 6 verses of 4 lines ABBA, Baudelaire represents time as an omnipotent and hostile being, and expresses how everything dies but time

Hymn a la beauté https://wildedecadents.wordpress.com/2012/09/30/on-baudelaires-hymn-to-beauty/ L’Ennemi http://commentairecompose.fr/l-ennemi-baudelaire/ Le vampire http://www.i-voix.net/article-25656308.html http://litterature102.wikispaces.com/BAUDELAIRE+* http://analyses-litteraires.com/analyses/viewtopic.php? f=364&t=589&start=1&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&sid=9ade8319c6bdd2f9ca2a80135ce20427&view =print La musique http://www.lescorriges.com/article-2561--baudelaire__les_fleurs_du_mal__la_musique.php