The Cambridge Companion to Baudelaire

Charles Baudelaire’s place among the great poets of the Western world is undisputed, and his influence on the development of poetry since his lifetime has been enormous. In this Companion, essays by outstanding scholars illuminate Baudelaire\'s writing both for the lay reader and for specialists. In addition to a survey of his life and a study of his social context, the volume includes essays on his verse and prose, analyzing the extraordinary power and effectiveness of his language and style, his exploration of intoxicants like wine and opium, and his art and literary criticism. The volume also discusses the difficulties, successes and failures of translating his poetry and his continuing power to move his readers. Featuring a guide to further reading and a chronology, this Companion provides students and scholars of Baudelaire and of nineteenth-century French and European literature with a comprehensive and stimulating overview of this extraordinary poet.

• The first comprehensive guide to Baudelaire’s work, his life, and his continuing influence • Aimed at those new to his poetry as well as experienced scholars • Features a chronology and a guide to further reading

Preface; Chronology; 1. Charles Baudelaire, a life in writing John E. Jackson; 2. Baudelaire\'s politics Dolf Oehler; 3. Baudelaire\'s poetic journey in Les Fleurs du Mal Barbara Wright; 4. Experimenting with verse form Rachel Killick; 5. The prose poetry Sonya Stephens; 6. Baudelairean ethics Edward Kaplan; 7. Baudelaire\'s Paris Ross Chambers; 8. Baudelaire and intoxicants E. S. Burt; 9. Art and its representation J. A. Hiddleston; 10. Music and theatre Margaret Miner; 11. Baudelaire\'s literary criticism Rosemary Lloyd; 12. Baudelaire\'s place in literary and cultural history Beryl Schlossman; 13. A woman reading Baudelaire Mary Ann Caws; 14. Translating Baudelaire Clive Scott; 15. A twenty-first century poet’s response to Baudelaire Judith Vollmer; Afterword Claude Pichois; Guide to further reading; Index.

\'In this excellent collection of sixteen essays the editor sets out to explore the wide-ranging effects of Bauledaire\'s writing both in French literature and further afield.\' Contemporary Review