The Moon more indolently dreams to-night
Than a fair woman on her couch at rest,
Caressing, with a hand distraught and light,
Before she sleeps, the contour of her breast.

Upon her silken avalanche of down,
Dying she breathes a long and swooning sigh;
And watches the white visions past her flown,
Which rise like blossoms to the azure sky.

And when, at times, wrapped in her languor deep,
Earthward she lets a furtive tear-drop flow,
Some pious poet, enemy of sleep,

Takes in his hollow hand the tear of snow
Whence gleams of iris and of opal start,
And hides it from the Sun, deep in his heart.

Note: This poem is in the public domain.

About the Poet

Charles Baudelaire, born on April 9, 1821, and passing on August 31, 1867, was a celebrated French poet, essayist, translator, and art critic.

Known for his innovative style, Baudelaire’s work showcases a remarkable mastery of rhyme and rhythm, laced with a touch of exoticism influenced by the Romantics.

His poetry often drew from his keen observations of everyday life, bringing a unique and realistic perspective to his verses.

Baudelaire’s most famous collection, Les Fleurs du mal (The Flowers of Evil), captures the shifting nature of beauty amid the sweeping changes in mid-19th century Paris, reshaped by Haussmann’s extensive urban renovations.

This work had a lasting impact, inspiring notable poets like Paul Verlaine, Arthur Rimbaud, and Stéphane Mallarmé.

Beyond his poetry, Baudelaire coined the term modernity (modernité), which described the fleeting, ever-evolving experience of life in a bustling urban setting and called for art to reflect that transient energy.

Some, like the philosopher Marshall Berman, even credit Baudelaire as the first Modernist, paving the way for a new era in literature.