To me, Baudelaire’s poem, "The Albatross", uses its metaphor of the kingly albatross to represent the frustrations of the poet in the face of his or her ignorant readers. The readers are the "idle mariners at sea" pulling the poet, the albatross, down in order to poke fun at his or her vulnerabilities through his or her poems. Once the poet is brought to land on the reader’s ship, his or her emotions are bared and he or she becomes completely vulnerable to the pokings and proddings of the ignorant readers who have no respect for the poet’s personal and emotional contribution. By poking and prodding at the emotions and thoughts of the poet in the form of his or her poems, the ignorant reader sullies the contribution of the poet. The poet "scorns the bows and slings" of ignorant society and addresses his or her poems to those who can appreciate them. Not to the "shouting crowds", but rather to the quiet individual who can gaze from afar or respectfully examine the work without damaging or devaluing the poet’s contribution, one who can appreciate the poet’s "giant’s wings".

Here is the beginning of "Get Drunk" by Baudelaire from the above website, in case you don’t have time to check it out.

"Get Drunk"

My first reading of this poem left me believing it is a nice description of a poet. The poem reminded me of Michelangelo's poem in a way. I connected with it the aloneness and alienation of some brilliant people. I thought of Michelangelo's work in the painting of Sistine Chapel and how that must have set him aside from people in his proximity. Consider these words, "Exiled on Earth" (Boudelaire, 99 Poems in Translation, p.20). I hate to use such a strong word, but I almost felt the persecution of the artist. After a while longer I thought maybe I didn't sympathize with Baudelaire as much as before. Upon further inspection, his words seem arrogant.

(Boudelaire, 99 Poems in Translation, p.20).

Random Thoughts After Reading

Charles Baudelaire's poem, "The Albatross," is interesting both for its beauty and its scope. The author attempts to define the existence of the poet here on earth:

The Poet's like the monarch of the clouds

He cannot walk, for he has giant's wings. (Baudelaire, "The Albatross," in 99 Poems, p. 20)

But what happens to such a beautiful and powerful bird? Idle humans (in this sense, I think Baudelaire refers to people who can't--who just plain don't--want to understand or feel art in any sense or form) destroy and mock it when it lets loose its vulnerability. When the "heavenly" bird (poet) is forced to the ground, not much is left for it to do. On land, with its wings let out, it appears strange and worthless. Its apparent power is gone. As Baudelaire writes, "He was so fine: how droll and ugly now!" The art has been corrupted by the ignorant world.

In particular, I love the last line of the poem: "He [the Poet] cannot walk, for he has giant's wings" (Baudelaire, "The Albatross," in 99 Poems, p. 20). To me, this has a connection to Molly Peacock's fear of tearing the wings off a poem, being a bully to the words. Baudelaire notices the power that a poet possesses when his or her work is appreciated and read (aloud), but in a world without art, the poet remains undefined and expendable. The author of this poem must feel alienated from the common world around him.

Also, this poem, perhaps in a strange way, reminds me of what happened to Jesus leading up to him being crucified. Jesus was too good and caring to fit into the structured and harsh world in which he lived. So too is the poet (though obviously in a much lesser fashion) when the world ignores his or her message of beauty.

In some ways, this poem is very painful for me to read. It reminds me too much of feeling misunderstood by the world. I hate that feeling of aloneness, when it appears as though nobody else is going down the same path that I want to be on (of course, this path seems to change daily as well). Also, being a huge animal lover, it saddens me whenever I think of people who take out their anger on innocent birds, dogs, cats, etc. To me, people who do such things are mentally sick.

Baudelaire does well in contrasting two very different images. The first is of a clean bird, soaring in the air, full of beauty and grace. The second is a dirty ship, full of "idle mariners" who must destroy something to enjoy it.

Reading the poem from top to bottom is interesting. There seems to be a gradual feeling of sadness and pain that enters into the work. At first, we are merely told that "idle mariners at sea / Catch albatrosses, vast birds of the deep" (Baudelaire, "The Albatross," in 99 Poems, p. 20). But we are left wondering what is done to them. Then, the author tells us that the birds look "full of shame" on the deck of the ship. Finally, the sailors mock the beauty to dispose of it.

Here's a few photos I found of Baudelaire:

On most of the websites I visited pertaining to Baudelaire, he was called "angry" or "brooding." As you can see, these pictures aren't exactly full of sunshine. Perhaps Baudelaire felt the world (including us) could do nothing but ruin his poetry? Or are we the chosen ones who can recognize its beauty?

The Albatross

by Charles Baudelaire

Often, for pastime, mariners will ensnare

The albatross, that vast sea-bird who sweeps

On high companionable pinion where

Their vessel glides upon the bitter deeps.

Torn from his native space, this captive king

Flounders upon the deck in stricken pride,

And pitiably lets his great white wing

Drag like a heavy paddle at his side.

This rider of winds, how awkward he is, and weak !

How droll he seems, who lately was all grace !

A sailor pokes a pipestem into his beak;

Another, hobbling, mocks his trammeled pace

The Poet is like this monarch of the clouds,

Familiar of storms, of stars, and of all high things;

Exiled on earth amidst its hooting crowds,

He cannot walk, borne down by his giant wings.

In reading the assigned poems in 99 Poems, none struck me as much as The Albatross. The first time I read this poem, I did not like it at all. The more I read it though, the more it seemed to jump out at me. This poem is filled with symbols and metaphors that are not very evident in the first couple readings. Furthermore, after class yesterday, many comments about this challenged my interpretation and forced me to read the poem yet again. I now feel that this poem is a metaphor for the passion of Christ. The imagery of a large, majestic bird of the heavens being ensnared by a cruel group of men who exist in a tiny boat hopelessly and aimlessly adrift in an enormous ocean. The stately, peaceful bird is mocked just as Jesus was by his captors. "They're scarcely set on deck, these heavenly kings..." (Baudelaire in 99 Poems, Pinter p. 20). This reference raises the captured albatross to the status of a "heavenly king." Another reference to support this interpretation, "See this winged traveler, so awkward, weak!" (Baudelaire in 99 Poems, Pinter p. 20) is an image of a being not from this world, but a far worthier place. This symbol made me think of an angel with broad feathery wings flying to earth and cruelly mistreated until its fragile wings drooped. This creature, once fine and lovely, is now mistreated and broken. Much like Christ was during the story of the passion. Baudelaire in the final stanza changes the tone and direction of this poem and begins to speak of a "Poet," who is like " a monarch of the clouds/ who haunts the tempest, scorns the bows and slings;/ Exiled on earth among the shouting clouds,/ He cannot walk for he has giant's wings." (Baudelaire in 99 Poems, Pinter p. 20) This stanza, I believe is the heart and soul of this poem. The imagery is staggeringly profound in scale while encapsulated in so few words. This poet, Christ, is the son of the monarch of the clouds who has infinite powers. This poet is sent to the hostile crowds who cannot accept his simple message, and is condemned to die. Yet in all this imagery, no line is as powerful as the last. The image of Christ, a divine creature sent from heaven staggering through hostile, mocking crowds, who stumbles under the weight of his enormous wings; a heavy cross. Oh how Christ is like the Albatross in this poem.