One of the most popular French poets of the 19th century is Charles Baudelaire. The biography of the writer is of interest to all those who are fond of the French poetic school today. Baudelaire is considered the theorist and founder of decadence and symbolism. These currents had a significant impact on the development of all European literature.

Youth of the poet

The poet Charles Baudelaire, whose biography dates back to 1821, was born in Paris. His father Francois was a peasant at a very advanced age, he took part in the French Revolution. In the year Charles was born, he turned 62 years old. The mother was a young 27-year-old girl. Despite his peasant origin, Francois Baudelaire was seriously interested in painting and began to instill in his son a love of art from the first days of his life. François died in 1827.

A year later, the stepfather of the future poet was Colonel Jacques Opik, who soon became a diplomat.

At the age of 11, Baudelaire moved with his family to Lyon, began to study at the Royal College. Already at that time he constantly suffered from melancholy and sudden mood swings. Accuracy and diligence were sharply replaced by absent-mindedness and laziness. Although at this age, his passion for literature first manifested itself.

The family returned to the French capital in 1836, when Charles was 15. He studied law at Saint Louis College and immersed himself in the nightlife of Paris. By his own admission, he meets with women of easy virtue, becomes infected with venereal diseases from them, and spends money borrowed. Hectic life leaves an imprint on his studies, he fails to graduate from college.

Having nevertheless received a diploma by hook or by crook, Charles decides to try his hand at literature, despite the fact that his stepfather insists on a career as a lawyer. To save her son from the influence of depraved Paris, his mother sends him on a trip to India. In 1841, Charles Baudelaire sailed from France. The biography of the poet was replenished with new and fresh impressions from this trip, despite the fact that he never reached India.

Returning from almost a year's journey, Baudelaire receives an inheritance, very decent for those times. He immediately begins to spend it and very soon gains a reputation as a rich dandy in the metropolitan society.

Muse Baudelaire

During this period, Baudelaire meets his muse. For the next 20 years, it becomes the ballerina Jeanne Duval. At that time, she had just arrived in Paris from Haiti. The poet fell in love with the Creole almost immediately; she became the most important woman in his life after his mother. Many poems are dedicated to her, for example, "Hair of Hair", "Balcony" and "Exotic Aroma".

Baudelaire called her Black Venus - for him Jeanne Duval became a symbol of sexuality and beauty. For 20 years, the Baudelaire family did not accept the ballerina, suspecting that she was only defrauding the poet of money. In 1862, his muse died after contracting syphilis.

Acquaintance and extravagant life with Duval led to the fact that in 1844 his mother sued to establish guardianship over her son. Since then, the entire inheritance has passed to her, and the poet received only a small amount of pocket money every month. This worsened the already not very good relationship with his stepfather. At the same time, Baudelaire still continued to treat his mother with respect and love.

Literary successes

Until 1846, Charles Baudelaire was known only in narrow circles. The poet's biography was rewritten after the publication of his articles on contemporary art. His assessment was supported by the majority of the French.

In the same period, Baudelaire became acquainted with the work of the American writer Edagar Allan Poe. In it, according to literary critics, he felt a kindred spirit. Therefore, in the next decade and a half, he began to devote a lot of time to the stories of an American, making their translation. Charles Baudelaire translated most of his major works into French.

The writer did not stay away from the French Revolution of 1848. He spoke at the barricades and even briefly edited a radical newspaper. Soon the passion for politics passed, Charles concentrated on creativity.

In the 1950s he wrote his best poems.

business of life

"Flowers of Evil" - the main collection of the French symbolist, which was published for 11 years. During this time it has undergone three editions. After the first, a serious fine was imposed on the poet for violations of moral standards. As a result, some of the most obscene poems had to be removed.

Baudelaire began to create "Flowers of Evil" in 1857. The main themes of the poems repeat the main lyrical moods of the poet - these are boredom, melancholy and despondency. A large number of poems are dedicated to the French poet Theophile Gauthier and Baudelaire's muse, the ballerina Jeanne Duval.

One of the most famous works of Baudelaire - the poem "Albatross" was included in the second edition. In it, the poet is compared to a wounded bird.

Health problems

In 1865, Charles Baudelaire, whose poems were extremely popular by that time, moved to Belgium. Here he lives for two and a half years, while his health is deteriorating greatly.

In 1866, illness puts him to bed. He contracted syphilis. In April, he was taken to the central hospital in serious condition, but after the arrival of his relatives, he was transferred back to the hotel.

Soon, Charles could no longer clearly articulate his thoughts, he constantly fell into prostration, the mind refused to the poet. His mother took him to Paris, where he was placed in a mental hospital. Baudelaire died on the last day of summer in 1867.

Poet's grave

The French poet Charles Baudelaire was buried in Paris, at the Montparnasse cemetery, next to his stepfather, with whom he had been at enmity all his life. Not a word was said about Baudelaire on the tombstone.

Only three and a half decades later, a majestic tombstone was erected on the grave. The initiators of its creation were admirers of his talent. Moreover, some doubted the need for this monument, since even by the beginning of the 20th century, the significance of Baudelaire for French poetry was questioned by many.

As a result, the monument was opened only in 1902. Today, this place remains one of the most popular among his fans. Writers gather here, read Baudelaire's poems.

Creativity of the poet

Charles Baudelaire began publishing his works in the mid-1940s. Poems began to appear in the magazine "Artist". Many of his poetic works pretty much shocked the public, not accustomed to such creativity. Despite this, the poet quickly achieved fame and popularity. After "Flowers of Evil", another of his poetic books came out - "Poems in Prose".

The last collection of his works were white poems, collected in the cycle "Paris Spleen".

Experiments with banned substances

One of the first intelligible descriptions of the effects of drugs on the human body was made by Charles Baudelaire. The poet's work was closely connected with the use of hashish.

For several years he attended a hashish club founded in Paris. Moreover, according to the founders of this society, the poet himself did not use the drug regularly, but did it only two or three times as an experiment.

A little later, Baudelaire nevertheless became addicted, and to opium. However, he managed to overcome this addiction. He wrote several poems about his psychedelic experience, including the collection Artificial Paradise.

Several articles by Baudelaire are devoted to banned substances today: "The Poem of Hashish" and "Wine and Hashish". The impact of drugs on the creative essence of the poet considered interesting, but not acceptable for a true artist. The poet preferred wine to drugs, because, in his opinion, only it made a person happy and sociable, while hashish and other cannabinoids only oppressed the creative nature.

In his articles and poems, Baudelaire assesses the impact of these substances on the human body as an outside observer, while not exaggerating the possible effect, but also without falling into unnecessary moralizing.

Poems and music

Baudelaire, an art critic, left his program articles devoted not only to painting and literature, but also to music. In the sonnet "Correspondence" he, in particular, substantiated the principle by which different types of art can interact with each other.

Baudelaire was a great lover and subtle connoisseur of music. It was he who discovered the composer Wagner for the French. The poet's essay "Richard Wagner and Tannhäuser in Paris", published in 1861, is dedicated to him.

In his poems and sonnets, Baudelaire repeatedly mentioned his musical preferences. This is primarily Carl Maria von Weber, Ludwin van Beethofen and Franz Liszt.

Many famous composers wrote music for Baudelaire's poems. Among them are Claude Debussy, Anatoly Krupnov, David Tukhmanov, Mylene Farmer, Konstantin Kinchev.

Baudelaire Charles Pierre (1821-1867) French poet

Charles Pierre Baudelaire was born on April 9, 1821 in Paris in the family of a senator. When Charles was not yet six years old, his father, who was 34 years older than his wife, died. And his mother married the battalion commander Jean Opeka, with whom Bodoer did not find a common language. In 1833 the family moved to Lyon, and the boy was sent to study at a boarding school.

After his graduation, followed by years of study at the Royal College of Lyon and the Paris College of St. Louis. True, Baudelaire was expelled from the latter in disgrace for poor academic performance. Charles Baudelaire's student years were very violent, he got into debt, contracted syphilis (which would cause his death), and even became addicted to drugs. It was at this time that he shocked his family with a statement that he wanted to devote his life to literature. In order to guide their son on the true path, the parents send Charles on a trip to India. True, two months later, without having reached his destination, Baudelaire returned to his homeland. But this short journey was reflected in the greatest works of the poet.

Shortly after his return, Charles entered into the right of inheritance and began to spend his father's money very quickly and thoughtlessly. The mother had no choice but to sue the inheritance for herself, as a result of which the young man was able to receive only a small monthly amount for pocket expenses. For him it was a blow. But the life of a rich idler bore fruit and became the beginning of Baudelaire's creative path. His first poems ("The Malabar Girl", "The Creole Lady", "Don Juan in Hell") were published in the magazine "Artist" for 1843-44. The poems were followed by a series of articles on the painting of Delacroix and David. A few years later, the collections "Paris Spleen" and "Artificial Paradise" were published, telling about the influence of drugs on life and work. In 1848, the poet took part in the uprising of the Paris Commune, became co-editor of the democratic newspaper Salut Public.

Baudelaire devoted almost 17 years of his life to translating into French the works of Edgar Poe, whom he considered his spiritual brother, and also published two books dedicated to his work. Charles Baudelaire entered the history of literature as the author of the poetry collection Flowers of Evil, published in June 1857. The book shocked the public so much that a censorship ban was immediately imposed on it, and the author himself had to remove 6 verses from his creation and pay a considerable fine. In 1860, Baudelaire published a collection of poems in prose called Paris Spleen.

In 1861, the second edition of "Flowers of Evil" was published, revised and expanded by the author. In 1865, Baudelaire left for Belgium, where he spent two and a half years, despite his disgust for the boring Belgian life and his rapidly deteriorating health. While in the church of Saint-Loup in Namur, Baudelaire lost consciousness and fell right on the stone steps. In 1866, Charles Pierre Baudelaire falls seriously ill, but hides from everyone that he has syphilis. He spent the last year of his life in a hospital in Paris, where he died on August 31, 1867.

BAUDLAIRE, CHARLES-PIERRE(Baudelaire Charles-Pierre) (1821-1867), the greatest French poet of the 19th century.

Born in Paris on April 9, 1821. The son of Joseph-Francois Baudelaire (1759-1827), manager of the affairs of the Senate, and Caroline Archenbaud-Dufay (1793-1871). The father died when the son was seven years old. He was raised by his stepfather, French army officer Jacques Opik (1789–1857), who later made a brilliant military (general), diplomatic (ambassador in Madrid) and political (senator) career. In 1832 the family moved to Lyon. In 1833, Charles entered the Royal College of Lyon; lived in a boarding house. Upon the return of the family to Paris in 1836, he continued his education at the Lyceum of Louis the Great; again placed in a boarding school, the harsh regime of which the stepfather considered necessary for the upbringing of the recalcitrant stepson. In 1837 he wrote his first poem Incompatibility(Incompatibility). In April 1839, he was expelled from the Lyceum for refusing to extradite a comrade, but already in August he passed the bachelor's exams. In 1839-1841 he attended lectures on law at the Sorbonne. He became close to the Parisian bohemia. In June 1841, he was sent by his parents, who wanted to tear him away from this environment, on a sea voyage to India, but in September he interrupted the voyage and lived on about. Mauritius. In February 1842 he returned to Paris. In April 1842, upon reaching adulthood, he inherited his father's fortune of 75,000 francs. Since 1843 he began to collaborate in literary magazines, primarily as the author of reviews and reviews of the cultural life of Paris. He met the leading French writers and poets Honore de Balzac, Gerard de Nerval, Theophile Gauthier, Sainte-Beuve, Victor Hugo and Pierre Dupont. A bohemian lifestyle and a passion for collecting art got him into a huge spending spree. In two years he squandered a third of his father's fortune; in July 1844, by decision of the family council, guardianship was established over him. Acutely experienced humiliation; in June 1845 he attempted suicide, at the end of 1845 he finally broke with his stepfather. In the same year, he made his first literary debut: in the magazine Artist(Artiste) sonnet was published Creole lady(A une dame creole), composed during his stay on about. Mauritius. Then he declared himself as a fine connoisseur of painting, writing an essay on the art salon in 1845; since that time he has become one of the leading literary and art critics of his time. In 1846 he joined the Society of Writers; in January 1847 published in the Society's Bulletin his first prose poem Fanfarlo(La Fanfarlo). Significantly expanded the circle of his acquaintances: in addition to poets and writers, he included artists (Delacroix, Courbet, Daumier, Manet), the famous photographer Nadar and the future publisher of his poetry collections Poulet-Malassy. During the February Revolution of 1848 he fought on the barricades against the royal troops. During the coup d'état of Napoleon III (December 1851) he participated in street battles. In the 1850s, he actively promoted the work of Edgar Poe in France (translations, research). On June 25, 1857 Poulet-Malassy published his poetry collection The flowers of Evil(Freurs du Mal), which caused a scandal. By decision of the authorities, the circulation was arrested. August 21, 1857 "for insulting public morality" was sentenced by the Tribunal of the Department of the Seine to a fine of 300 francs and a ban on the six most "immoral" poems. At the same time, Victor Hugo warmly welcomed the "mighty talent" of Baudelaire. At the end of May 1860, a collection of brief artistic and philosophical essays was published. artificial paradise(Paradis artificials). In February 1861 a second edition appeared. Flowers of Evil, the last during the lifetime of the poet, which included thirty-five new poems; it received a rave review from A.C. Swinburne. However, an attempt to carry out the third edition Flowers of Evil ran into the refusal of the leading publishing houses Levy, Garnier and Etzel. In November 1861 he put forward his candidacy for the French Academy, but already in January 1862 withdrew it, considering his act unworthy of a poet. In February 1864 the magazine Figaro(Figaro) published six poems in prose under the title Parisian spleen(Spleen de Paris). Fleeing from creditors, in April 1864 he left for Brussels, hoping to earn money by lecturing on Delacroix, Gauthier and artificial paradise, however, was not successful with the Belgian audience. I was seriously ill; in 1865 he showed clear symptoms of speech paralysis. After a heart attack in March 1866, his mother took him to Paris and placed him in Dr. Duval's hospital. On August 31, 1867, after a long agony, he died in her arms. He was buried on September 2 at the Montparnasse cemetery in Paris. Only a small group of friends accompanied him on his last journey (P. Verlaine, T. de Banville).

In 1868, the Levi publishing house, which acquired the rights to publish Baudelaire's works from Poulet-Malassy, ​​issued a third edition. Flowers of Evil, supplemented by his latest poems, and a collection of articles on art Aesthetic rarities(Curiosite aesthetics), in 1869 - a collection of literary essays romantic art(Art romantic) And Little poems in prose(Petits poèmes en prose), and then his translations of Edgar Allan Poe.

The flowers of Evil Baudelaire were rehabilitated only eighty-two years after the death of the poet: the Criminal Chamber of the Court of Cassation on May 31, 1949 overturned the verdict of the Seine department tribunal of August 21, 1857.

Baudelaire is called "the last romantic". Rebellion against the cruel and vulgar reality, a passionate desire for the ideal - the main content of his works. However, he differs significantly from his predecessors and contemporaries. His main book is The flowers of Evil- represents a new quality of romantic poetry. Baudelaire fearlessly plunges into the most inaccessible and forbidden abysses of human existence (death, nightmares, humiliating poverty, forbidden love, intoxication, etc.). He does not accept the existing order of things and encroaches even on its basis - God, indifferent to the suffering of people; Baudelaire wants to destroy this order and overthrow the values ​​established from the ages ( Denial of St. Peter, Abel and Cain). Having rebelled against God, Satan becomes for him the protector of all the outcasts, their helper on the difficult path to true knowledge and freedom ( Litany to Satan). The theme of the poet, which runs through Baudelaire's work, also fits into this model. The poet is the same outcast, “damned”, “exiled from heaven to earth” ( Albatross), whose fate is especially dramatic, for he was given the gift of knowledge and insight. He sees the purpose of art in the fact that in the midst of the darkness of being, it illuminates the path to truth for people ( lighthouses).

Baudelaire opens up for poetry not only new areas (and with them the “forbidden” layers of language), but also a new aesthetic principle: the depiction of “cruel reality” (“atroce réalité”) in a perfect poetic form; he seeks to "extract beauty from evil" ("extraire la beauté du Mal"). His poetry is distinguished by the sculptural finish of each poem, the accuracy and capacity of the word and image, the severity of rhyme, the majesty and sonority of the verse. His favorite form is the sonnet, the limited size of which makes it possible to saturate the text with thought to the maximum and convey the “beauty of the processed metal”. Collection title The flowers of Evil very capaciously reflects the meaning of his work. The coexistence of two sharply opposed and inextricably linked themes - negative reality and the world of beauty - speaks simultaneously of the possibility and impossibility of the ideal and creates that tragic sound that pervades all Baudelaire's poems.

Baudelaire also owns two prose collections. IN artificial paradise he explores the problem of human exposure to stimulants - wine, hashish and opium; while praising wine, he at the same time condemns the use of narcotic agents; the artist, naturally endowed with poetic imagination, does not need to artificially generate images. Little poems in prose is an experimental book that includes both translations of poetic texts into prose and original poems in prose. In an effort to establish a more intimate relationship between poet and reader, Baudelaire blurs "conditional" prosodic barriers, thereby expanding the poetic toolbox.

Baudelaire's theoretical views are presented in Aesthetic rarities And Romantic art. Exploring the work of artists and writers close to him in spirit, primarily Eugene Delacroix and Edgar Allan Poe, he formulates his understanding of romanticism as "the art of modernity", i.e. "the most actual expression of the beautiful", characterized by "depth, spirituality and striving for the infinite" ("intimite, spiritualite, aspiration vers infini"); romanticism is not in the choice of subjects, not in plausibility, but in a special “manner of feeling” (“manière de sentir”).

In the history of French literature, Baudelaire's work was at the turn of two artistic eras. It completed the former romantic tradition and at the same time gave a powerful impetus to the further development of French poetry (symbolism, impressionism, surrealism).

The latest editions in Russian: The flowers of Evil; Wreckage; Parisian spleen; artificial paradise; Essays, diaries; Articles about art. M., 1997; Paris Spleen: Prose Poems. SPb., 1998; Prose. M., 2001.

Evgenia Krivushina

Charles Baudelaire is a famous critic, poet and classic of French literature. Member of the Revolution of 1848. It is considered the forerunner of French symbolism. In this article, you will be presented with his brief biography. So let's get started.

Childhood

Charles Baudelaire, whose biography is known to all lovers, was born in Paris in 1821. In the future, he will call the marriage of his own parents "absurd, senile and pathological." After all, the father was older than the mother by as much as thirty years. François Baudelaire painted pictures and from childhood instilled in his son a love of art. He often went with Charles to various galleries and museums, and introduced him to fellow artists. Francois died when the boy was barely six years old. A year later, Charles's mother remarried. General Olik became her chosen one, with whom the future poet did not immediately have a relationship. The second marriage of his mother disturbed Charles. He developed a classic. Because of this, the future poet committed many acts shocking to society in his youth.

Studies

At the age of 11, Charles Baudelaire, whose biography is now in many literary encyclopedias, moved with his family to Lyon. There he was assigned to a boarding school, and then to the Royal College. In 1836, the family returned to Paris, and Charles entered the Lyceum. Later, the boy was expelled from there for misconduct. In 1839, he shocked his parents by declaring that he wanted to devote his life to literature. Nevertheless, Charles nevertheless entered the Charter School, but appeared there very rarely. The future poet was most attracted by the student life of the Latin Quarter. It was there that he made a bunch of debts and got drug addicted. But the most generous "gift" of the Latin Quarter was syphilis. It is from him that Baudelaire will die a quarter of a century later.

Journey

Seeing how the son is “rolling” downhill, the parents decided to take matters into their own hands. India - that's where, on the instructions of his stepfather, Charles Baudelaire was supposed to go on the ship. The voyage lasted only two months, as the ship got into a storm, having reached only the island of Mauritius. There the poet asked the captain to send him back to France. Nevertheless, a short trip had a certain influence on the work of Baudelaire. In his future works, sea smells, sounds and tropical landscapes will be traced. In 1842, Charles Baudelaire, whose biography was full of various events, came of age and acquired the right to own an inheritance. The 75 thousand francs received allowed the young man to lead a carefree life of a secular dandy. Two years later, half of the inheritance was squandered, and the mother, in court, established custody of the remaining finances.

Participation in the revolution

Baudelaire was deeply offended by her behavior. He considered the mother's act as an encroachment on his own freedom. Restriction in money negatively affected his life. Charles had nothing to pay creditors who would pursue the poet until the end of his days. All this increased the rebellious mood of the young man. In 1848, the poet Charles Baudelaire was imbued with the spirit of the February Revolution and took part in the barricade battles. His opinion on this issue was changed by the December coup of 1851. The young man felt disgust for politics and completely lost interest in it.

Creation

The literary activity of the poet began with writing critical articles about French painters (Delacroix and David). Charles's first published work was called The Salon of 1845. The works of Edgar Allan Poe had a great influence on the young poet. Charles Baudelaire, whose books have not yet been published, wrote critical articles about him. He also translated Poe's writings. Moreover, Baudelaire retained interest in the work of this author until the end of his life. From 1857 to 1867, quite a few prose poems written by Charles appeared in the periodical press. After his death, they were collected in a single cycle "Paris Spleen" and published in 1869.

Psychedelic experiences

The hero of this article belongs to the most intelligible description of a person for that time. There is also a hypothesis that there are a number of works that, while under the influence of psychotropic drugs, were written by Charles Baudelaire ("Destruction", etc.). But it is unconfirmed.

From 1844 to 1848 the poet was a regular visitor to the "Hashish Club" founded by Joseph-Jacques Moreau. Basically, Charles used davamesk. Another member of the club, Theophile Gautier, said that Baudelaire did not take him on an ongoing basis, but did so only for experimental purposes. And the hashish itself was disgusting to the poet. Subsequently, Charles became addicted to opium, but in the early 50s he was able to overcome this addiction. Later, he created a series of three articles called "Artificial Paradise", where he described in detail his psychedelic experiences.

The two works that Baudelaire Charles composed (Poem of Hashish, Wine and Hashish) were entirely devoted to cannabinoids. The hero of this article considered the effect of these substances on the body interesting, but was against taking them to stimulate creative activity. According to the poet, wine could make a person sociable and happy. The drug isolated him. “Wine, rather, exalts the will, and hashish simply destroys it,” Charles Baudelaire said. Correspondence to these words can be found in the thematic articles of the poet. Although there he tried to reason as objectively as possible, without falling into moralizing and without exaggerating the psychotropic effects of hashish. That is why most of the readers trusted his conclusions.

Herald of symbolism

"Flowers of Evil" - this is a collection of poems, thanks to which Charles Baudelaire became famous ("Hymn to Beauty" - one of his most famous works, which was included there). It was published in the middle of 1857. Criminal proceedings were immediately initiated against the printers, the publisher and the author. They were accused of blasphemy and obscenity. As a result, as many as six works were withdrawn from his collection by Charles Baudelaire (“Hymn to Beauty” was not one of them), and he also paid a fine of 300 francs. The removed poems will be published in Belgium in 1866 (in France, censorship on them will be removed only by 1949). In 1861, the 2nd edition of The Flowers of Evil was published, which included thirty new works. Baudelaire also decided to change the content, dividing it into six chapters. Now the collection has turned into a kind of autobiography of the poet.

The longest was the first chapter "Ideal and Spleen". In it, Baudelaire is “torn apart” by opposing thoughts: in order to find inner harmony, he prays to both Satan (the animal nature) and God (the spiritual nature). The second chapter "Parisian Pictures" takes readers to the streets of the French capital, where Charles wanders all day long, tormented by his troubles. In the third chapter, Baudelaire tries to calm himself with drugs or wine. The fourth chapter of "Flowers of Evil" describes countless sins and temptations that Charles could not resist. In the fifth chapter, the poet violently rebels against his own destiny. The last chapter, titled "Death", is the end of Baudelaire's wanderings. The sea described in it becomes a symbol of the liberation of the soul.

love lyrics

Jeanne Duval was the first girl for whom Charles Baudelaire began to write. Poems about love were dedicated to her regularly. In 1852, the poet temporarily parted with this fatal mulatto, who constantly drove him to suicide with infidelity and vicious antics. Baudelaire's new muse was Appolonia Sabatier, who previously worked as a model and was friends with many artists. She was connected with the poet exclusively by platonic relations.

Disease

In 1865, Charles Baudelaire, whose biography was presented in this article, left for Belgium. Life there seemed boring. Nevertheless, the poet spent almost two and a half years in this country. Charles's health was constantly deteriorating. Once he lost consciousness right in the church and fell on the stone steps.

In 1866, the poet fell seriously ill. Charles described his illness to the doctor as follows: suffocation set in, thoughts were confused, there was a feeling of falling, his head was spinning and aching, cold sweat appeared, apathy appeared. For obvious reasons, he did not mention syphilis. As the days passed, Charles's health gradually deteriorated. In early April, he was taken to a Brussels hospital in critical condition. But after the arrival of his mother, Baudelaire was transferred to a hotel. The poet looked terrible: a missing look, a twisted mouth, the inability to pronounce words. The disease progressed rapidly and the doctors said that some miracle would have to happen for Charles Baudelaire to recover. The poet's death came at the end of August 1867.

• For 17 years, Baudelaire translated the works of Poe into French. Charles considered him his spiritual brother.
• The poet found a grandiose period of restructuring the capital of France, initiated by Baron Haussmann.
• In Paris, the poet lived at about 40 addresses.

Charles Baudelaire - quotes

• "Having fun is not as boring as working."
• “And why are women allowed to enter the church? I wonder what they are talking about with God?
• “Life can be compared to a hospital where every patient is trying to move to a more comfortable bed.”
• "A woman is an invitation to happiness."
• “The most difficult job is the one you don’t dare to start. It becomes a nightmare for you."

Charles Pierre Baudelaire (1821-1867) French poet and critic, essayist and translator. Considered the founder of aesthetics in decadence and symbolism. His works are classics in world and French literature.

Childhood

Charles Pierre Baudelaire was born on April 9, 1821 in Paris. His father, Francois Baudelaire, was from a peasant family, took part in the Great Revolution, and rose to the rank of senator during the reign of Napoleon.

When Charles was born, his father was already 62 years old, and his mother was only 27. Because of the big difference in age, Baudelaire would later call the marriage of his parents “pathological, senile and awkward” in his poems.

My father was a man of art, he loved painting, he drew well. From early childhood, he tried to instill a love for creativity and little Charles. Francois took the boy to exhibitions, galleries and museums, took him with him when he went to work in the workshop, and introduced him to fellow artists.

But dad died when Charles was barely 6 years old. A year later, my mother married a second time. The military colonel Jacques Opik became the stepfather of little Baudelaire, later he often took part in various diplomatic missions as the French ambassador.

Charles failed to establish normal human relations with his stepfather. In childhood, he idolized his mother, even as he himself later admitted, he was passionately in love with her. When she married a second time, the child hated both her and her stepfather, regarding the mother's act as a betrayal. This childhood psychological trauma caused the boy to do shocking things that actually expressed his negative attitude towards his mother and stepfather. At the same time, the idea arose in his mind that women are low creatures with animal instincts raging in them.

All this left an imprint on the formation of the character of the future poet. The guy grew up contradictory and unbalanced.

Studies

When the boy was 11 years old, the family left for Lyon, where Charles began his boarding school. Soon from here he was transferred to a secondary educational institution - the Royal College of Lyon. The child constantly experienced severe melancholic seizures, as a result of which he studied unevenly. The teachers themselves were sometimes shocked: the boy is either diligent and quick-witted, or completely absent-minded and lazy. The only thing that passionately attracted him was literature, especially poetry.

The guy was 15 years old when the family returned to Paris. Here he continued his studies at the College of St. Louis, where he entered the law course.

At the same time, he embarked on a wild life, visited entertainment establishments, constantly borrowed money and spent money, made love with women of easy virtue, and even managed to recover from a venereal disease. As a result of such a turbulent life, Charles was expelled from college a year before graduation.

In 1841, with grief in half, he passed the bachelor's exam and graduated from an educational institution. His stepfather suggested that he build a legal or diplomatic career, but Charles then said that he was not drawn to anything. Well, except that literature still beckoned.

creative way

When the son said that he wanted to devote his life to poetry, his mother and stepfather sent him to travel to Calcutta in order to keep him from this bad, in their opinion, path.

Baudelaire never reached India and returned to France 10 months after his departure. Those beauties of the East, which he managed to see, struck Charles, and while the trace of these impressions was fresh, he was in a hurry to translate them into artistic images.

Upon his return from the journey, Baudelaire entered into inheritance rights and received a huge fortune of 75,000 francs, which once belonged to his own father. And now he embarked on all serious even more: constant feasts and feasts, brothels. And how he liked to shock the audience either with his poems or with his antics. He could walk the streets of Paris, wearing an elegant black woolen coat, picking up a cane and at the same time dyed his hair green. In public places, Charles talked about his love affairs with men or that he was an agent in the service of the state. Even one of his poetry collections, he was going to give the name "Lesbians", but then changed his mind.

The young scandalous poet quickly gained notoriety in Paris. But it did not bother him in the slightest, and even liked it. He became a regular at the Hashish Club, became involved in the world of opium and spent all his time in the company of courtesans. Then he had a crazy idea - to catch some serious bad disease in order to experience the sensations when you are on the verge between life and death. He succeeded: having fallen ill with syphilis, he was then treated for it until the end of his life, but to no avail.

In 1844, his mother and stepfather filed a lawsuit to establish custody of Charles. The court decided to transfer the inheritance to the mother, and to Baudelaire himself monthly to issue a small fixed amount for pocket expenses. Everything was under strict control at the house notary. Since that time, Charles was constantly in need of funds, sometimes reaching real poverty.

During this period, the first editions of his poems also occur. In the magazine "Artist" were printed:

• "Don Juan in Hell";
• "Lady Creole";
• "Malabar Girl"

In 1857, the most famous collection of his poems, Flowers of Evil, was published. He shocked readers so much that the censors imposed a fine of 300 francs on Charles and demanded that the most obscene works be thrown out of the collection. But Baudelaire turned to the critics for help and achieved recognition. Two more poetry books with his poems, Poems in Prose and Parisian Spleen, were published in 1857 and 1860, respectively.

Love story

Baudelaire's poems were often shocked by many contemporaries, his lyrics were sometimes considered obscene and dirty. Charles' meeting with a young mulatto artist changed everything; tender notes suddenly appeared in his compositions. The French poet dedicated romantic lines to Jeanne Duval, who for many years became his tormentor and muse.

Before meeting her, Charles was known as a misogynist, he called all the fair sex only “divine dirt” and “disgusting creatures”. He despised all women until he met the only one with whom he knew sincere love. Jeanne was not the most beautiful and intelligent, far from pious. He called her his Venus, gave her countless gifts and dedicated poems. In the almost 20-year history of their relationship, the woman never fully reciprocated him, and she always took the opportunity to cheat on Baudelaire.

A mulatto from Haiti, actress and ballerina Jeanne Duval, behaved impudently with Charles. She never gave him her sincere feelings, twisted countless novels and then told Baudelaire about passionate adventures. But it was precisely with this depravity, riotous lifestyle, dismissive attitude and rudeness that she drove the young poet crazy. Jeanne beckoned him with her danger and Creole exotic beauty.

She was disgusted with his work, while constantly demanding money and gifts. Charles gave her the last, and Jeanne impudently spent money on entertainment and treats of other men. According to the mother of the poet: "Duval tormented him as best she could, shaking everything to the last coin." The family did not accept this love of Charles Baudelaire at all, Jeanne constantly became the cause of scandals, once the poet even wanted to commit suicide.

Despite the protests of the family, the relationship between the poet and the ballerina did not stop. They were not married, lived separately, Duval treated him with the same contempt, but Baudelaire still loved this woman. In 1861, Jeanne was paralyzed, Charles placed his beloved in the best medical institution, he came to her every day. When she felt a little better, she herself made the decision to move into the house of Baudelaire. His happiness was not long, soon Duval began to recover and returned to her former way of life.

Jeanne demanded a lot of money for her festivities, and Charles, in order to earn money, went to Belgium, where he started publishing his books and lecturing at universities. Those who invited him turned out to be not quite decent people and began to pay much less than the promised amount. He kept part of the money for living, divided the rest in half and sent to France to his mother, whom he began to feel sorry for his childhood hatred with age, and to Jeanne Duval.

Illness and death

In Belgium, the poet's health began to deteriorate rapidly.

In 1865, in Namur, during a service in the church of Saint-Loup, Charles became ill, his consciousness left him, he fell, hitting the stone steps. In 1866, the disease took on a serious character. He was tormented by attacks of suffocation, threw in a cold sweat, sometimes his head was spinning, and sometimes it hurt a lot, his thoughts were confused. Charles constantly felt that he was falling, in addition to everything, an irresistible apathy set in.

He was placed in a Brussels hospital, his mother arrived, the sight of her son horrified her: her mouth was twisted, her gaze stopped, she was speechless. A few weeks later, he stopped getting out of bed, his body still somehow obeyed, and the mind left the poet completely.

His mother transported him to France, where he was placed in a Parisian clinic for the insane. Here he died on August 31, 1867.

Charles was buried in the Montparnasse cemetery in the same grave with his stepfather, whom he hated all his life. Four years later, the ashes of the deceased mother of the poet were buried in a cramped grave. There are only a few words on a wide tombstone: "The stepson of General Jacques Opique and the son of Caroline Archanbault-Defay".

And only 35 years later, an admirer of Baudelaire's poetry took the initiative, and a cenotaph was built on the grave. In 1902 the monument was opened. Directly on the ground lies the figure of the poet wrapped in a shroud, and from the side of the head there is a huge stele with Satan at the top.