The Blind

By Charles Baudelaire

    Consider them, my soul, they are a fright!     Like mannequins, vaguely ridiculous,     Peculiar, terrible somnambulists,     Beaming - who can say where - their eyes of night.     These orbs, in which a spark is never seen,     As if in looking far and wide stay raised     On high; they never seem to cast their gaze     Down to the street, head hung, as in a dream.     Thus they traverse the blackness of their days,     Kin to the silence of eternity.     o city! while you laugh and roar and play,     Mad with your lusts to point of cruelty,     Look at me! dragging, dazed more than their kind.     What in the Skies can these men hope to find?

Share & Analyze This Poem

Spread the beauty of poetry or dive deeper into analysis

Analyze This Poem

Discover the literary devices, structure, and deeper meaning

Create Image

Transform this poem into a beautiful shareable image

Copy to Clipboard

Save this poem for personal use or sharing offline


Share the Love of Poetry

Poem Details

Language: English
Keywords: Public Domain
Source: Public Domain Collection
Rights/Permissions: Public Domain

Analysis & Notes:
This poem presents an evocative critique of the human condition, particularly the alienation and loss of individuality in an urban setting. It employs a dark and somber tone, utilizing vivid, eerie imagery to depict a city filled with soulless, night-eyed "mannequins" who are "vaguely ridiculous" and "peculiar." This suggests a sense of disillusionment with the modern world's dehumanizing effects, a theme often seen in modernist literature.

The poem is noteworthy for its use of metaphor and simile, comparing people to sleepwalkers or "somnambulists", and mannequins, reinforcing their lack of agency and uniqueness. This technique heightens the sense of alienation and despair. The poem's structure, consistent in rhyme and rhythm, mirrors the monotonous, unchanging existence of the people it describes. The use of direct address to the city and the reader in the final stanza adds a confrontational, accusatory tone, challenging the reader to consider their own complicity in this bleak reality. The final line, which questions what these men can hope to find in the Skies, underscores the poem's existential angst, suggesting a futile search for meaning or salvation.

Understanding the Sonnet

The sonnet is one of the most enduring and celebrated forms of poetry, known for its strict structure and profound themes. With a history spanning centuries, sonnets have been used to explore love, beauty, politics, and mortality, all within the confines of just 14 lines.


Sonnets are characterized by their precise form and rhyme scheme, which vary depending on the type of sonnet. Here’s a closer look:

  • Shakespearean (English) Sonnet: Composed of three quatrains followed by a final couplet, with a rhyme scheme of ABABCDCDEFEFGG. This form often builds a complex argument or narrative, culminating in a powerful closing statement.
  • Petrarchan (Italian) Sonnet: Divided into an octave (eight lines) and a sestet (six lines), with a typical rhyme scheme of ABBAABBA for the octave, followed by various patterns in the sestet such as CDECDE or CDCDCD. The octave usually presents a problem, with the sestet providing a resolution.
  • Meter: Sonnets are traditionally written in iambic pentameter, which gives the poem a rhythmic and melodic quality that enhances its emotional impact.

The sonnet’s enduring appeal lies in its ability to condense complex emotions and ideas into a small but potent package, making it a favorite form for poets seeking to explore profound themes with precision and elegance.