Between Douglass, Faust and Baudelaire, there was extreme variety among writers and their preference of style and topic of interest which relied heavily on their surroundings and what they know from that. Out of these three men, Baudelaire did stand out the most to me. Once I began to to read his biography, I knew it was literature class after the first paragraph. Minus his critter-like appearance in our literature book, something about his writing style and background scream "intellectual and introspective bad boy that parents don't want you to bring home" and we all know how appealing that is. But in actuality, the variety of words and contrasting images Baudelaire sketched into his poetry are rather remarkable and although usually gruesome and morbid, intriguing nonetheless.
One of the poems by Baudelaire that proved less gruesome yet very relatable was his poem "Hymn to Beauty." In this poem, Baudelaire questions human nature and our take on beauty. Where does beauty come from? Is is heavenly or evil? Why do we all endure some form of weakness when overcome by the beauty of another being? Ultimately, Baudelaire provides a list of questions and potential answers but all of this leads to inclusiveness. He provides no real answer to his many questions but rather so, leaves room for his readers to make their own decision concerning the matter.
Although the most morbid, "Carrion" might have been my favorite poem to read. The contrasting choice of words and clever usage makes the piece captivating. What I enjoy the most about this poem is the acknowledgement of death. Yes, death must be acknowledged by everyone at some point in time. Yes, death can be "depressing" to reflect on but if we sincerely took the rapid approach of death seriously wouldn't our lives differ? Baudelaire was a man that fought complacency and what better way to fight boredom and a standstill life lacking passion or motivation than death itself which is the end to everything. Once death grips you tight, you no longer have the opportunity to accomplish what you've desired to do for so long. There's one attempt at life to live passionately. When one considers the permanency of a physical death that Baudelaire so graciously describes in this poem, the uncontrollable stench, rotting corpse, and path taken to eventually be forgotten, it's easy to remember that we are all humans headed to the grave whether we like it or not. Personally, I use death to set my eyes and affections back where I believe they belong. I can't deny the fact that one day I will die and my body on this earth will wither away and one day no one not this earth will remember me. As much as this may hurt my pride, I know that all will be well. I also enjoyed the fact that Baudelaire had the nerve to compared the female companion with him in this poem to the corpse in that it will one day be her fate. Definitely not the most romantic of things to say but extremely accurate and truthful. This romantic love on earth and beauty will eventually be forgotten or eaten by worms so there is no real reason to fear or be "complacent." Of course, there will be people that find security in their "American Dream" or whose lives will reflect complacency when in actuality, they are fulfilling their calling at that moment in time. If we are defending our virtues or morals, then sometimes it is suitable to abstain from radical actions. As much as I enjoy the concept of people fighting complacency, without those people it wouldn't be nearly as easy for those who want to make a difference to do so in such a profound way in our capitalistic society. Is that a valid argument? To some, it probably is.
This following is a poem on beauty. I LOVE slam poetry and found this poem. Although beauty can be pleasant to the eyes and comforting to the ego, a foundation founded on it that leads to comparison is indeed a dangerous and destructive thing. Also, there is an obscene word used at the end of the poem that I apologize ahead of time for.
http://youtu.be/M6wJl37N9C0
Baudelaire. He was a favorite of many in the class. I feel as though the majority of the class mentioned him at some point int their presentation. Even in casual talk, his arguments come alive in conversation as me and my roommate discuss the undeniable fact that we are aging and one day, our physical appearance will not be the same. The body is dying and as much as we fight the process, we know the destined ending for us all. So often, I though I would enjoy a guy that constantly spoke of my beauty and reminded me of how physically appealing I was but I've grown up a little and can finally be confident and desirable of a guy who is more in love with my heart's desires and internal make up rather than the fading physical features since beauty is fleeting. Beauty and self-esteem are a big deal to me since I see the weakness it bestows upon people; especially women. While at the gym the other day, I watched girl after girl step on the scale and step off with a face of dissatisfaction and disappointment. Watching this hurt me because I struggle with being in the same shoes. During a Tuesday night in honors Global Issues Forum, my group did a presentation on beauty and an extremely interesting fact about Africa stood out to me which I strongly desire to implement here at UNA. In Africa, there is a beauty contest where none of the contestants are allowed to wear make up. How awesome of a fundraiser and event would that be to host at UNA? SO many different directions to go with that concerning young ladies. Hopefully one day, this pageant can become something here. I am very excited to potentially head up such a cause.
Baudelaire. He was a favorite of many in the class. I feel as though the majority of the class mentioned him at some point int their presentation. Even in casual talk, his arguments come alive in conversation as me and my roommate discuss the undeniable fact that we are aging and one day, our physical appearance will not be the same. The body is dying and as much as we fight the process, we know the destined ending for us all. So often, I though I would enjoy a guy that constantly spoke of my beauty and reminded me of how physically appealing I was but I've grown up a little and can finally be confident and desirable of a guy who is more in love with my heart's desires and internal make up rather than the fading physical features since beauty is fleeting. Beauty and self-esteem are a big deal to me since I see the weakness it bestows upon people; especially women. While at the gym the other day, I watched girl after girl step on the scale and step off with a face of dissatisfaction and disappointment. Watching this hurt me because I struggle with being in the same shoes. During a Tuesday night in honors Global Issues Forum, my group did a presentation on beauty and an extremely interesting fact about Africa stood out to me which I strongly desire to implement here at UNA. In Africa, there is a beauty contest where none of the contestants are allowed to wear make up. How awesome of a fundraiser and event would that be to host at UNA? SO many different directions to go with that concerning young ladies. Hopefully one day, this pageant can become something here. I am very excited to potentially head up such a cause.
