Born: 9 April 1821 · Died: 30 August 1867 · Age: 46
French poet whose collection Les Fleurs du mal, prosecuted for obscenity, shaped modern poetry and Symbolism
Did you know?He spent several years translating the works of Edgar Allan Poe into French, helping the American author gain fame in Europe.
Quick facts
Date of birth9 April 1821
Date of death30 August 1867
Age at death46
Cause of deathSyphilis
NationalityFrench
BirthplaceParis, France
Occupationpoet, art critic, essayist
Editor's Take:
Baudelaire is often called the first truly modern poet, because he found beauty and meaning in the dirt and bustle of the city. His collection Les Fleurs du mal, or The Flowers of Evil, explored sex, death, decay and boredom with shocking frankness. When it was published in 1857, he was prosecuted for offending public morals and several poems were banned. He also coined the idea of the flâneur, the observer who wanders the city streets watching modern life. His influence can be traced through Symbolism and much of later twentieth-century poetry.
Key Milestones
1856: Publishes his first translations of Edgar Allan Poe
1857: Publishes Les Fleurs du mal and is prosecuted
1863: Publishes the essay The Painter of Modern Life
1869: Paris Spleen appears after his death
Charles-Pierre Baudelaire (UK:; US:; French:; 9 April 1821 – 31 August 1867) was a French poet, essayist, translator and art critic. His poems are described as exhibiting mastery of rhythm and rhyme, containing an exoticism inherited from the Romantics, and are based on observations of real life.
Charles Baudelaire's birthday is April 9. He was born on April 9, 1821 in Paris, France.
How old was Charles Baudelaire when he died?
Charles Baudelaire died on August 30, 1867, aged 46.
Who shares a birthday with Charles Baudelaire?
Famous people who share Charles Baudelaire's April 9 birthday include Jean-Paul Belmondo, Kristen Stewart, Leopold II of Belgium, Hugh Hefner and Elias Lönnrot.
