Religious in his own way, pagan, satanist, and provocative,
Charles-Pierre Baudelaire (1821-1867) is considered the father of French symbolism, a movement critics trace back precisely to his book "Les Fleurs du mal" (
The Flowers of Evil), published in 1857. His poems, largely inspired by his passion for the mulatto Jeanne Duval, led to a trial for offending public decency and a fine that was substantial for its time. Six poems were suppressed from the collection, later incorporated into the volume "Les Épaves" (The Scraps) in 1860. Charles Baudelaire was a precursor of the Symbolist movement in France and is regarded as the founder of modern poetry. His masterpiece, "Les Fleurs du mal," will always be remembered as a major reference in the lyrical genre.
