Abstract

Charles Baudelaire, one of nineteenth-century France's most prominent dan-dies, cites melancholia as one of the most striking features of dandyism. The dandy's melancholia seems to acquire special connotations in Baudelaire's typology: it takes form as a symbolic crisis that coincides with the phallicization of the male body. The connotations of this crisis are perhaps best illustrated in Baudelaire's prose poem, "Assommons les pauvres." The poem's confrontation between two dimensions of male selfhood signals a displacement and obfuscation of masculine desire in phallic culture. The confusion integral to phallic culture's conception of the masculine fur-ther resonates in Baudelaire's sometimes startling attitudes regarding women, fashion, and cosmetics. (PGH)

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

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.