That which is not slightly distorted lacks sensible appeal; from which it follows that irregularity β that is to say, the unexpected, surprise and astonishment, are a essential part and characteristic of beauty.
Charles BaudelaireRead
Everything that is beautiful and noble is the product of reason and calculation.
Interpretation
What this quote means
True beauty and nobility stem from careful thought and logical reasoning.
In this quote, Baudelaire suggests that all that we consider beautiful and noble is not merely a result of emotion or chance, but rather the outcome of deliberate reasoning and meticulous planning. It emphasizes the idea that aesthetics and virtue are intertwined with rationality, and that appreciating beauty involves understanding the thought processes behind it.
Themes
BeautyReasonNobilityCalculationThought
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a speech about the intersection of art and logic.
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Who among us has not dreamt, in moments of ambition, of the miracle of a poetic prose, musical without rhythm and rhyme, supple and staccato enough to adapt to the lyrical stirrings of the soul, the undulations of dreams, and sudden leaps of consciousness.
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There is no sweeter pleasure than to surprise a man by giving him more than he hopes for.
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The priest is an immense being because he makes the crowd believe astonishing things.
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I consider it useless and tedious to represent what exists, because nothing that exists satisfies me. Nature is ugly, and I prefer the monsters of my fancy to what is positively trivial.
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