Author: Charles Baudelaire

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    Above the valleys, over rills and meres,
    Above the mountains, woods, the oceans, clouds,
    Beyond the sun, past all ethereal bounds,
    Beyond the borders of the starry spheres,

    My agile spirit, how you take your flight!
    Like a strong swimmer swooning on the sea
    You gaily plough the vast immensity
    With manly, inexpressible delight.

    F1y far above this morbid, vaporous place;
    Go cleanse yourself in higher, finer air,
    And drink up, like a pure, divine liqueur,
    Bright fire, out of clear and limpid space.

    Beyond ennui, past troubles and ordeals
    That load our dim existence with their weight,
    Happy the strong-winged man, who makes the great
    Leap upward to the bright and peaceful fields!

    The man whose thoughts, like larks, take to their wings
    Each morning, freely speeding through the air,
    Who soars above this life, interpreter
    Of flowers' speech, the voice of silent things!

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Type of Poem: Sonnet

Date Written:

Date Published:

Language: English

Keywords: Public Domain

Source: Public Domain Collection

Publisher:

Rights/Permissions: Public Domain

Comments/Notes: This poem presents an exhilarating exploration of the human spirit's capacity to transcend the constraints of physical existence and venture into ethereal realms. The overarching theme is the juxtaposition of the mundane and the celestial, the tangible and the ethereal.

The poem's structure, a series of quatrains, establishes a rhythm that mirrors the undulating flight it describes. The poet uses vivid and expansive imagery to describe the spirit's journey. The poet's use of metaphors, such as the spirit as a "strong swimmer" and thoughts as soaring "larks," is not only powerful but also lends an air of liberation and exuberance to the narrative of the poem.

The tone of the poem evolves from awe and excitement over the spirit's flight to a sense of tranquility and peace in the final stanzas. The poem concludes with an optimistic, even triumphant note, lauding the "strong-winged man" who transcends earthly concerns to find respite in "bright and peaceful fields."

There is a clear emphasis on the dichotomy between the "morbid, vaporous place" of earthly life and the "higher, finer air" of the celestial realm. This serves to reinforce the poem's central theme of transcendence and the pursuit of spiritual purity and freedom.