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
What I say is that the supreme and singular joy of making love resides in the certainty of doing evil.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that the thrill of making love is enhanced by the acknowledgment of its perceived moral implications.
Charles Baudelaireβs quote reveals a complex perspective on the act of making love, positing that the exhilaration derived from such intimacy is intensified by a shared understanding of the societal or moral boundaries it may transgress. This notion challenges the conventional views of love and desire, inviting reflection on the paradox of pleasure derived from actions often labeled as forbidden or sinful, thus intertwining joy with a sense of rebellion.
Themes
LoveJoyPleasureEvilRebellion
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be shared during a discussion about the complexities of romantic relationships.
More from Charles Baudelaire
All quotes βThe dance can reveal everything mysterious that is hidden in music, and it has the additional merit of being human and palpable. Dancing is poetry with arms and legs.
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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.
Charles BaudelaireRead
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