The Flowers of Evil How was Baudelaire influenced by the
historical and cultural events of his time? What are spleen and
the ideal? Is one stronger than the other? How does the poem "To
a Passerby" unite Baudelaire's misogyny with his fear of death?
What role does love play in this system? Why were Baudelaire's
poems condemned for immorality? What class did he accuse of
hypocrisy in judging his work? How do elements of horror and
fantasy shape the poems? What aspects of Edgar Allen Poe's work
inspired Baudelaire? What does the Swan symbolize in "The Swan"?
Can the swan remember the old Paris, as the speaker does? Why
does it ask the sky to bring rain? According to Baudelaire, is
love possible or impossible? Which poems prove your point? How
does Baudelaire's poetry adhere to the rules of traditional
French poetry while at the same time breaking them? What poems
are examples of this? How does this affect each poem's form and
structure? Discuss the interaction of the themes of death and
time in Baudelaire's poe