In a nut shell, the word ‘flaneur’ can be simply described as ‘an idle man-about-town’ (Flaneur) or a type of loafer. This loosely holds true to a more in-depth definition by Charles Baudelaire in The Painter of Modern Life. Baudelaire delves deeper into the essence of a flaneur, describing it somewhat as a person driven by curiosity. One who is hungry for knowledge and experiences, in constant pursuit of the unknown. These factors, along with others, may force us to perceive the flaneur as a loafer. The persona in Song of Myself by Walt Whitman teeters on the line of ‘he is flaneur’ versus ‘he is not flaneur’, in accordance with Baudelaire’s definition that is. Whitman’s persona in Song of Myself undoubtedly has an abundance of experiences to share, and is therefore indeed an observer of the world; a man of the world, but whether he has pursued these experiences with the attitude, curiosity and hunger characteristic of a flaneur or merely had them by means of existing hinders his qualification to be flaneur.
Baudelaire’s flaneur definition spans even wider. Much of the definition being communicated through the behavior and characteristics of his main character Monsieur G. who he describes as ‘a man of the whole world, a man who understands the world and the mysterious and lawful reasons for all its uses…’(Baudelaire 7). An interpretation of this suggests that Baudelaire’s idea of a flaneur is someone with an openness and appreciation for much of every and anything unfamiliar to him. Baudelaire’s flaneur craves to be a part of a greater whole; ‘a spiritual citizen of the universe’, ‘a passionate spectator’ (Baudelaire 7). A cursory observation of Whitman’s persona reveals that he is ‘a man of the world’; he professes to contain ev...
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...er if the definition encompasses the globe he is definitely a flaneur. A final analysis of the poem as a whole reveals that the persona can be considered flaneur again due to the manner in which he relates the poem to us the readers. The poem is told in what feels like chunks of recollected experiences, quite pell-mell, much like how Monsieur G. absorbs the world. The persona in song of myself maintains a duality; he is a flaneur while not being flaneur according to Charles Baudelaire’s definition in The painter of Modern Life.
Works Cited
Baudelaire, Charles, and Jonathan Mayne. "The Artist, Man of the World, Man of the Crowd and
Child." The Painter of Modern Life, and Other Essays. London: Phaidon, 1964. N. pag. Print.
"Flaneur." Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 01 Feb. 2014.
Whitman, Walt. Song of Myself. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, n.d. Print.
Walt Whitman is known for his excellence in writing and poetry during the mid 19th century in American Literature. The Leaves of Grass is one of his more memorable works of literature. The work expresses many thoughts and opinions about art, nature, and early nationalism. It also includes a multitude messages for the readers in an attempt to capture the reader and reinforce his points.Within the Preface of the work he talks about issues that he feels are important to inform his audience before they continue into the literature. These observations made by Whitman signify some importance to him in one way or another. Using his rhetorical skills, Walt Whitman attempts to educate his audience about the importance of self improvement and self awareness
...rization and perception in this story leads the reader to dissect the underground man’s thinking. Flaubert’s approach to “A Simple Heart” lends the reader to feels sorry for Felicite not having a life of her own yet giving it all to the family. Even though she lived her life for the family she had a life of caring for someone she loved as it is will lives of everyday people.
Michel de Montaigne was one of the most influence writers of the French Renaissance. He is famous for inventing the essay. He compiled 107 of his essays in to the book entitled Essays. In the introduction to his book, Montaigne says "I am myself the subject of my book." (Goebel, ed 179) Many of his essays are about himself, however, in some cases he strives to understand the world around him. In Of Cannibals, Montaigne seeks to understand the "barbarians" of the New World.
Now is the time in this period of changes and revolution to use a revolutionary manner of painting and not to paint like before. - Pablo Picasso, 1935. (Barnes)
Gustave Flaubert incorporates and composes a realistic piece of literature using realistic literaryature techniques in his short story, “A Simple Heart.” Flaubert accomplishes this through telling a story that mimics the real life of Félicité, and writing fiction that deliberately cuts across different class hierarchies; through this method, Flaubert is able to give the reader a clear understanding of the whole society. Flaubert makes the unvarnished truth about simple hearts clear by exposing a clear replica of a realistic story, therefore, allowing the reader to clearly understand the society and the different classes of characters.
Whitman, Walt. "Song of Myself." The Norton Anthology of American Literature.. Gen. ed. Nina Baym. 8th ed. Vol. C. New York: Norton, 2012. 24-67. Print.
Laroche collected all sorts of strange items and never had a care in the world. Laroche’s hobbies had a wide range of out of the ordinary items such as orchids, turtles, fish... The list goes on. Laroche was confident enough in himself to find a passion of his and put his all into it which is a very admirable quality. Contradictory to John Laroche I struggled with conformity and did choose to conform to the appearance of everyone else. This desire of conformity made me alter my looks to please everyone but myself. In the end, I learned to never conform to societal expectation but to please myself instead. A person’s acceptance is not worth the sacrifice of their happiness. The pressure of conformity and the longing to fulfill one's personal desires is a difficult choice. If you choose to conform you can almost guarantee acceptance but lack happiness and if you choose to pursue personal desires you might lack acceptance but find true happiness. When battled with acceptance versus happiness it is up to the person to decide which they value most. In the end, the choice is
Gustave Flaubert incorporates and composes a realistic piece of literature using realistic literature techniques in his short story, “A Simple Heart.” Flaubert accomplishes this through telling a story that mimics the real life of Félicité, and writing fiction that deliberately cuts across different class hierarchies; through this method, Flaubert
Walt Whitman embraces this power to use nature in his work "Song of Myself." As Emerson's principle outlined, Whitman was able to take images of nature and make them represent something surprising, new, and sometimes slightly obscene. Emerson discusses the idea of obscene images in nature taking on acc...
Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself" is a vision of the American spirit, a vision of Whitman himself. It is his cry for democracy, giving each of us a voice through his poetry. Each of us has a voice and desires, and this is Whitman's representation of our voices, the voice of America. America, the great melting pot, was founded for freedom and democracy, and this poem is his way of re-instilling these lost American ideals. In this passage from "Song of Myself" Whitman speaks through his fellow man and speaks for his fellow man when his voice is not socially acceptable to be heard.
Commedia Dell’ Arte was a distinctive form of stage art in the 1600’s and the famous playwright Moliere furthered its acceptance and import throughout his life. Originating in Italy, the popular art form spread quickly with the aid of traveling troops. One area that was greatly affected by this form of theater was France. The French people adored this theater and made it fit in with their culture. This can be seen in an essay by Gustave Lanson when he states, “In Paris Italian farce had replaced French farce.” The success of Commedia Dell’ Arte during the reign of Charles IX is well-known” (Lanson, 137). This effect can be seen through one of the country’s most famous playwrights, Moliere. Moliere was a renowned playwright and actor that continues to be well-known today. He was greatly influenced by Commedia Dell’ Arte. “Well-known definitions of the Commedia Dell’ Arte are that it was a semi-literary form of theatrical performance based primarily upon effective gestures and lazzi, and involving a limited number of generally accepted types who in their contrasting relation provide the setting for a light and flimsy action linked somehow by the eternal theme of love”( 704). His showing of the art form can be seen through his three most famous plays Tartuffe, The Misanthrope, and The Imaginary Invalid. As Lanson stated, “From soiling the noble and pure conception of comic genius given to us by The Misanthrope and Tartuffe” (Lanson, 134). With the progression from an earlier play to his final play, we can see where Moliere used aspects of Commedia Dell’ Arte and where he veered away to fit his own personal tastes and that of France’s. Moliere was born Jean-Baptise Poquelin in 1622 to a father who was an upholsterer for th...
Baudelaire had a strong influence on Romanticism. Romanticism is a literary and art movement that occurred during the late 18th century that emphasized imagination, emotion, and love of nature. Baudelaire really liked Romanticism although he found himself “incapable of being moved by vegetation.” During the time he wrote “salon de 1846”, Baudelaire alleged that the ideal was represented by Romanticism. In “Salon de 1846” he wrote, "Romanticism is precisely situated neither in choice of subject nor in exact truth, but in a way of feeling" (Galitz). Baudelaire felt that the beauty in Romanticism was that artists and writers were looking inward to represent things in their own personal way while using nature as an inspiration for that self-exploration. In his book, Baudelaire: Selected Writing on Art and Artist, Baudelaire wrote, "Romanticism lies neither in the subjects an artist chooses nor in his exact copying of truth, but in the way he feels" (Baudelaire 52). Through this states how he views Romanticism and what attracts him to the movement. Throughout his life and for many years to come, Baudelaire had a significant inf...
Whitman uses great craft in this poem to make the reader ponder so many different meanings of one simple object. Something like grass is so common that we don’t even realize that it really is everywhere around us. This poem is very meaningful because of its originality and the images and ideas really stick with the reader b...
The film “Modern Times,” directed by Charlie Chaplin, is set in the mid nineteen thirties. This time frame places the characters in the middle of the Great Depression and the industrial revolution. The film depicts the lifestyle and quality of living for people in this era by showing a factory worker who cannot take the monotony of working on an assembly line. The film follows the factory worker through many of his adventures throughout the film. The film’s main stars are Charlie Chaplin and Paulette Goddard.
Lewis Carroll may have created a whole new world for his Alice to explore, but Flaubert had the harder job. He had to replicate the world that everyone knows, taking time to explore the very details that make this world real and tangible. Whether it be dust accumulating on furniture, everyday people plodding through mud to get to work, or nagging mothers, Flaubert details images and impressions that most overlook, but which truly constitute reality. Emma tries her best to ignore this reality, but it confronts her insistently, reminding her daily of all the things she dee...