Religious in his own way, pagan, satanist, and provocative, Charles-Pierre Baudelaire (1821-1867) is considered the father of French symbolism, a movement critics trace back precisely to his book "Les Fleurs du mal" (The Flowers of Evil), published in 1857. His poems, largely inspired by his passion for the mulatto Jeanne Duval, led to a trial for offending public decency and a fine that was substantial for its time. Six poems were suppressed from the collection, later incorporated into the volume "Les Épaves" (The Scraps) in 1860. Charles Baudelaire was a precursor of the Symbolist movement in France and is regarded as the founder of modern poetry. His masterpiece, "Les Fleurs du mal," will always be remembered as a major reference in the lyrical genre.
