Le Spleen de Paris: An ‘unknown’ masterpiece?

Abstract

The article explores the origins of Baudelaire’s final book, Paris Spleen. Little Prose Poems [Le Spleen de Paris. Petits Poèmes en Prose] in relation to the poet’s recently discovered letter to the publisher A. Houssaye. Supplying a Russian translation of this dedication to Houssaye, penned by Baudelaire as a preface to the Little Prose Poems, the author also offers its interpretation. The closing paragraphs contain an analysis of the principal and manifesto-like aspects of the dedication. Stating that no one can say about his new work that it has ‘neither head nor tail,’ Baudelaire alludes to the trite expression which describes ‘incoherence’ in French, but which the poet effortlessly transforms into an expanded metaphor of a serpent. In other words, rather than merely dedicating his poems to the editor-in-chief of La Presse, the poet lavishes on him a ‘poisoned gift.’ The poet loathed the newspaper civilisation, but, unlike the ‘aristocratic party’ of French literature, could not afford to withdraw into an ‘ivory tower’ and so had to resort to stratagems to cooperate with the Fourth Estate. The dedication to Houssaye effectively constitutes such a ploy.