This poem is from a book, Les Fleurs du mal, a volume of poems written by Charles Baudelaire. This poem comes from the section Tableaux Parisiens. This section of the book depicts a day-night cycle in Paris, starting with Le Soleil and ending with Le Crépuscule du Matin. The majority of these poems were written during the Haussmannisation of Paris, and as such, Baudelaire criticises the new geometrical layout of Paris. The poems in this section deal with the anonymity and alienation that Baudelaire felt regarding the modernisation of his city.
The poem in question Le Crépuscule du soir, is written in four verses of alexandrines. Every two lines rhyme, and this is followed through the entirety of the poem. Baudelaire writes about the world that takes hold of Paris when night falls, he writes what he sees. Baudelaire in awe of the people he writes about; they, to him, they are the remnants of the old Paris, the (anti-)heroes of Paris.
The atmosphere of the poem is quite heavy and deals with dark concepts, “ami du criminel”, “La Prostitution”, “catins et d’escrocs, leurs complices”, “les voleurs”. At one point in the poem, Baudelaire states, “…des démons malsains dans l’atmosphère / S’éveillent lourdement, comme des gens d’affaire, / Et cognent en volant les volets et l’auvent.” this can be taken as a comment on the criminal class and the rich. Nightfall would certainly act as the perfect cover for illegal activities for criminals, it would also be the perfect cover for any illicit activities that a rich man may wish to partake in. The “démons malsains” can be seen as referring to both, the “démons” pertaining to the criminals and the “malsains” pertaining to the rich, as their indulgence in illicit activities would make them unhealthy from a moral standpoint.
Baudelaire makes another statement on the classes in his few cloning lines, “Plus d’un / Ne viendra plus chercher la soupe parfumée, / Au coin du feu, le soir, auprès d’une âme aimée. / Encore la plupart n’ont-ils jamais connu / La douceur du foyer et n’ont jamais vécu!” Those who don’t return seems to be reference to the criminal class who die as a result from living the lives they do, perhaps from starvation or the cold. The final two lines, again refer to class. The poor criminal class having never lived in a home and thus, do not know the sweetness of one, and the upper classes, having lived sheltered and privileged lives and have never experienced the hardships of the lower classes, cannot truly appreciate the sweetness of their homes.
Despite the title of the section being Tableaux Parisiens, and suggesting a more visual represatation of Paris, we are given an auditory representation as well, “On entend çà et là les cuisines siffler, / Les théâtres glapir, les orchestres ronfler;”.
The poem is punctuated by recurring animal imagery. Baudelaire describes the undesirable aspects of the Paris nightlife as animals. Prostitutes are compared to ants, “La Prostituation s’allume dans les rues; / comme une fourmilière…”, allusions to beasts of prey, “l’homme impatient se change en bête fauve.” These comparisons of different aspects of the city turn Paris into a threatening and menacing entity, something so far removed from the ‘City of Love’.
The word choice revolves heavily around light, “…les lueurs que tourmente le vent”, “…s’allume…”, “au coin du feu…” this particular set of vocabulary thoughts and feelings of life, love and friendship. The lexicon of light is contrasted by the lexical field which deals with the night-time, “…le soir charmant…”, “…son lit.”, “La sombre Nuit…”. Not to mention the dark imagery and ideas dealt with throughout the poem.
As a whole, this poem functions as a light shone on the underbelly of Paris, an underbelly which Baudelaire has an interest in, he sees a beauty in this side of Paris, it harks back to a more natural landscape, it seems that in this poem, Baudelaire is trying to get back to that. Hausmannisation done away with whole layers of urban history and this seems to be Baudelaire’s way to reclaim that. However, it could be taken that through his vivid description of the night-time world, the city, the vices and the people, Baudelaire creates an unhealthy atmosphere and is imploring the reader to learn their lesson.
Originally published 15.10.2019