I fiori del male

After reading Baudelaire, I suddenly find myself wanting to smoke cigarettes and say very cynical things while donning a trendy haircut. Plus, if I didn't read Baudelaire, how could I possibly carry on conversations with pretentious art students? In all seriousness, though, I wish my French was bett Leggi tutto

“And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:4-5 Ever since the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge had been eaten any cognizance becam Leggi tutto

Ironie suprême, ce livre, condamné pour immoralité lors de sa parution est désormais le recueil de poésie le plus canonique de toute la littérature française (en témoigne sa présence increvable dans les programmes scolaires). Mais cette ironie, cette apparente ambivalence, cet oxymore de l’histoire Leggi tutto

Dear Charles, I’m flattered to be your muse, I really am. How many women can say they’ve inspired a genius to write poems about them, poems that will be read and loved hundreds of years from now? You have immortalized me in perfect rhymes, and thanks to you, Charles, I shall always be remembered as a Leggi tutto

This is Poe for grownups. Lusty, edgy, and melodically intoxicating. Baudelaire's poems in French are delivered alive, kicking and beautiful as new babes in these English versions from James McGowan's capable hands. I was not surprised to learn this translator is a poet. He has the ear for rhythms.