To the Reader (Masterplots II: Poetry, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Charles Baudelaire
- First Published: 1855
- Type of Work: Dramatic monologue
- Genres: Poetry, Dramatic monologue
- Subjects: Sin or Original sin, Greed, Human behavior, Hypocrisy, Puppets or puppet plays, Devils or demons, Begging or beggars, Boredom, Alchemy
The Poem
As the title suggests, “To the Reader” was written by Charles Baudelaire as a preface to his collection of poems Flowers of Evil. It is a poem of forty lines, organized into ten quatrains, which presents a pessimistic account of the poet’s view of the human condition along with his explanation of its causes and origins. Baudelaire, assuming the ironic stance of a sardonic religious orator, chastises the reader for his sins and subsequent insincere repentence. He proposes the devil himself as the major force controlling humankind’s life and behavior, and...
[The entire page is 1545 words long]
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