The Theme of Good versus Evil: Dichotomous Symbolism in the Poetry of Charles Baudelaire
Nineteenth century marked the emergence and developed of new ideologies and movements as society moved towards modernism. Among these movements was the school of symbolism, a literary movement that became prevalent during this period, especially in Western societies. One of the proponents of the symbolism movement was Charles Baudelaire, French poet who was known for using the theme of contemplation of morality and religiosity in his poetry. Baudelaire was well-known for his effective portrayal of the theme of good against evil, centering his depiction of this theme on the role of religion, particularly Christianity, and morality in the lives of people in his society. In addition to the dichotomy of goodness and deviltry, the poet also criticized and questioned the norms prevalent in French society. Baudelaire applied the standards of morality as applied between the poor and the wealthy, wherein the latter was evidently more privileged and favored not only by society, but by the Church, who plays as a primary influencer on society's values, beliefs, and traditions. Looking into three poems by Baudelaire, "To a brown beggar-maid," "The sick muse," and "The eyes of beauty," this paper analyzes his use of the theme of good
"The sick muse" provided another interpretation of Baudelaire's good vs. evil theme. In it, he depicted the contrasting nature of organized religion (such as Christianity, which prevailed during Baudelaire's time) and nature worship or paganism. Though not directly demonstrated, the poem had shown contemplation of just how much organized religion truly helps an individual alleviate himself/herself from suffering. In the last four lines of the poem, Christianity was pitted against Phoebus and Pan, Greek gods of the Sun and Nature, respectively. The 'sick muse' in the poem was stricken with both Folly and Horror, as well as love and terror; in these states, Baudelaire questions whether the Muse achieved peace of mind and health through Christianity. His answer was reflected in the last two lines, suggesting perhaps that Christianity is not the answer to suffering, but being one with Nature. This poem can be interpreted as a contemplation-a questioning of the Church's principles and rules that it tried to enforce onto society. The last poem, "The eyes of beauty," has the general theme of good vs. evil, although this theme was depicted more in similarity with "The sick muse." In it, symbols pertaining to Nature dominated the poem's imagery, wherein once again, Baudelaire showed how humanity tende
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Approximate Word count = 882
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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