Le Voyage - Alizarin Capeland

 To a child who is fond of maps and engravings

The universe is the size of his immense hunger.

I am not one to read poetry for fun or sit and analyze it but there is one poem that is the exception. "Le Voyage" by Charles Baudelaire scratches that poetry itch inside my head that makes me want to get lost in his writing. Split into eight parts, the poem tells the story of a sailor writing home to a woman describing his adventure while at sea.

Curiosity torments us, rolls us about,
Like a cruel Angel who lashes suns.

Ever since I discovered the poem, it has enamoured me. I first heard the last stanza when a character in a novel quoted it and that is still my favorite part of Le Voyage to this day. The wonder that it filled me with was nothing like I had ever experienced and I knew I wanted more so I read the rest of the poem. From there, there was no going back.

Astonishing voyagers! What splendid stories
We read in your eyes as deep as the seas!

What drew me in was the whimsy and wonder that Baudelaire was able to convey with words. His use of punctuation only added to that and solidified the awe. The sailors speak of their tales and what they have seen and it makes me want to go and explore the world with them. Even when they describe the negative aspects of their life, Baudelaire makes it seem worthwhile to join them and experience life like them.

"We have seen stars
And waves; we have also seen sandy wastes;

When I was given the task to create my art portfolio in high school with a theme of my choice, I knew what I had to do. I had a few initial ideas but once the thought of illustrating each part came to mind, it was obvious what the best option was. I wanted to create the words that Baudelaire wrote into a visual medium and express the same emotions with just one painting per section. 

Bitter is the knowledge one gains from voyaging!
The world, monotonous and small, today,

While discussing poetry in class and how it can convey more than prose does, I knew that Le Voyage was the best example that I knew of. Especially when discussing journeys.  Maybe some would not see it the same way I do but it still creates that connection to my soul. No other work of literature, art, or speech has inspired the same awe as the poem and I yearn for something else to match it. In fact, it inspired aspects of the book I have been writing for the past three years. 

O Death, old captain, it is time! let's weigh anchor!
This country wearies us, O Death! Let us set sail!

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