Sri Aurobindo

Letters of Sri Aurobindo

Volume 2. 1937

Letter ID: 1839

Sri Aurobindo — Nirodbaran Talukdar

January 31, 1937

Herbert said yesterday that though Baudelaire is a great poet, he is considered an immoral one.

That is not anything against his greatness – only against his morality. Plenty of great people have been “immoral”.

I had just a glance at Baudelaire’s Flowers of Evil and I found this:

“The Moon more indolently dreams tonight

Than a fair woman on her couch at rest,

Caressing, with a hand distraught and light,

Before she sleeps, the contour of her breast.”

What a queer imagination, but vulgar or immoral?

What is there vulgar in it or immoral? It is as an indolent distraught gesture that he puts it. How does it offend against morality?

It is strange that I get a thrill from these bizarre images. Your inspiration will, I hope or fear, give me a Baudelairean fame – an immoral, vulgar poet!

It is a terrible prospect.