The Flowers of Evil

Many of the poems in this collection, published in 1857, were banned for indecency by the French government. A major 19th-century text and an inspiration to the Symbolist movement, THE FLOWERS OF EVIL evokes the decay and debauchery of the Parisian underworld, expressing both the seduction and repulsion of death. Baudelaire implicates the reader in his project, admonishing his audience with the famous line, Hypocrite reader--my likeness--my brother! Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005. For personal use only. All rights reserved.