How did Edgar Allan Poe influence Charles Baudelaire’s ideas about poetry?

Charles Baudelaire discovered the work of Edgar Allan Poe in 1847 and felt a profound connection to the American writer’s temperament and thought. This encounter significantly influenced Baudelaire’s own artistic development, providing him with greater confidence in his aesthetic theories and poetic ideals.1

Poe’s influence on Baudelaire’s ideas about poetry manifested in several key ways:

• Validation of Aesthetic Direction: Poe’s example encouraged Baudelaire to pursue an increasingly antinaturalist and antihumanist direction in his work.1
• Critical Guidance: Baudelaire viewed Poe as a master model and guide for literary criticism.2
• Foundation for Symbolism: Poe’s essay "The Philosophy of Composition" became a cornerstone for French Symbolism. Symbolist poets relied on the principles outlined in this essay, borrowed from Poe’s imagery, and utilized his examples to develop the theory of pure poetry.2

Baudelaire dedicated much of his life to translating Poe’s works, which he introduced to the French public with critical essays that solidified Poe's reputation and legacy.21