Beauty by Charles Pierre Baudelaire

Name: Beauty
Author: Charles Pierre Baudelaire

The poem presents a personification of beauty as an eternal and enigmatic figure, embodying both allure and detachment. The speaker describes beauty as a dreamlike entity, likening it to stone, suggesting permanence and an unchanging nature. This beauty inspires poets, evoking a sense of longing and solitude, as it remains aloof and unresponsive to the world. The imagery of a "sphinx" and "monumental attitudes" emphasizes its mysterious and majestic qualities, while the reference to "pools of light" and "luminous eyes" conveys a duality of enchantment and transience. The speaker's portrayal of beauty as a source of inspiration for artistic creation highlights the complex relationship between the artist and the ideal of beauty, which is both revered and unattainable. The poem ultimately reflects on the nature of beauty as a powerful yet indifferent force, capable of evoking deep emotions while remaining distant and unyielding.

By Charles Pierre Baudelaire · First published 1856 · Genre: Poetry, Romanticism, Symbolism · 155 words

First lines

I am as lovely as a dream in stone, And this my heart where each finds death in turn, Inspires the poet with a love as lone As clay eternal and as taciturn.

Swan-white of heart, a sphinx no mortal knows, My throne is in the heaven's azure deep; I hate all movements that disturb my pose, I smile not ever, neither do I weep.

Before my monumental attitudes, That breathe a soul into the plastic arts, My poets pray in austere studious moods,

For I, to fold enchantment round their hearts, Have pools of light where beauty flames and dies, The placid mirrors of my luminous eyes.

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Beauty is listed on Textopian as a poem by Charles Pierre Baudelaire, dated 1856 CE.

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Work type: Poem
Author: Charles Pierre Baudelaire
Date: 1856 CE
Language: English
Genres: Poetry, Romanticism, Symbolism, French Literature
Length: 155 words
Structure: 1 section, 4 paragraphs
Reading fit: Fairly Difficult (10th-12th Grade)

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Genres

Poetry — Baudelaire's book is written in verse form, and his use of symbolism, imagery, and emotive language is characteristic of the poetry genre.
Romanticism — The emphasis on individual emotion, beauty, and the sublimity of nature is a defining characteristic of the Romantic literary movement, of which Baudelaire was a part.
Symbolism — Baudelaire's works often use symbolic language to represent abstract ideas, making them fit within the Symbolist literary tradition.
French Literature — As a French poet, Baudelaire contributed significantly to French literature, and many elements of his work reflect the cultural, political, and social climate of France during his lifetime.