Abstract
Beginning from an underexplored intertextual link between Baudelaire’s poem ‘Les Metamorphoses du Vampire’ and Racine’s play Athalie, I argue that the contrast between the two works underlines the fundamental conjunction between religion and sexuality in Les Fleurs du Mal. Transgression, in both the religious and sexual spheres, is an engine of literary creation for Baudelaire, and ‘Les Metamorphoses du Vampire’ operates in both at once. The analysis is supported by a set of readings of other poems from Les Fleurs du Mal, along with the poem’s allusions not only to Athalie but also to the Bible. ‘Les Metamorphoses du Vampire’ enacts a scene of divine punishment for both blasphemy and fornication, yet as this punishment is visited on the vampire, the poet loses the text. This differentiates Baudelaire’s view of religion from Racine’s hidden God, and also connects the poem to the wider themes of Les Fleurs du Mal, expressed in ‘Au Lecteur’ and revisited throughout.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
