Charles Baudelaire

Charles Baudelaire was born in Paris in April 1821. At the age of six, his father passed away, and his mother remarried Jacques Aupick, disrupting his tranquil life. The family moved to Lyon in 1832 and returned to Paris in 1836. Charles attended the Louis-le-Grand college in Lyon as a boarding student, from which he was expelled for indiscipline, yet he managed to graduate in 1839. His sole interest was in literary work. His excessive dandyism worried his family, prompting them to send him on a world tour with a trusted captain in hopes of reforming him. After visiting the islands of Mauritius and Bourbon, he traveled through India. Upon returning to France in 1842, he became involved with Jeanne Duval and met notable figures such as Balzac, Nerval, Theophille Gautier, and Theodore de Bauville. He struggled to publish his initial articles and accrued significant debts, leading to a conviction in 1844 (at the age of 24)—something he did not forgive his mother for until after the death of General Jacques Aupick in 1857. He published his first works in "Salon de 1845," "Salon de 1846," and "La Fanfarlo" in 1847, and contributed poems and various essays to magazines such as "Tintamarre," "Corsaire-Satan," "Messager," "Monde literaire," and "Artiste." From 1851, he began translating Edgar Poe. In 1857, he published "Les Fleurs du mal," six of which were condemned by the authorities. Despite his fragile health, his literary activity was extensive. During his stay in Belgium, his health deteriorated further, along with his misfortunes. Upon returning to Paris with his mother, he passed away in August 1867 at the age of 46.