Between 1852 and 1865, Charles Baudelaire translated a lot of Poe’s works, especially his short fiction. In fact, he was one of the reasons Poe’s works became renown and admired in Europe. Although the two men never met, Baudelaire believed that he had met a kindred spirit in Poe.
![Charles Baudelaire (1821-1867) French poet, essayist, art critic and translator. [Photo by Nadar via Wikipedia]](https://readinginterrupted.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/nadar-baudelaire-1855.jpg?w=584&h=787)
Charles Baudelaire (1821-1867) French poet, essayist, art critic and translator. [Photo by Nadar via Wikipedia]
My copy of Baudelaire’s translation of The Raven is a bilingual edition illustrated by Hamiru Aqi. I love the drawings as well as having the two poets’ words side by side.
Poe’s famous first lines:
and Baudelaire’s translation:
“To elevate the soul, poetry is necessary.” Edgar Allan Poe