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Petits poèmes en prose

work by Baudelaire
Also known as: “Le Spleen de Paris”, “Petite poèmes en prose”, “The Parisian Prowler”(Show More)

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Petits poèmes en prose, or Little Poems in Prose, is a collection by Charles Baudelaire, published posthumously in 1869 and later titled Le Spleen de Paris. This work is considered a highly successful and innovative experiment in the prose poem genre.12

A prose poem is a composition in prose that possesses qualities of poetry, such as rhythm, patterned structure, or heightened emotion, but is presented on the page as prose. Baudelaire's Petits poèmes en prose explored urban landscapes, the artist's relationship with crowds, and the hardships of urban poverty. The form itself, described as "musical but without rhythm and rhyme, both supple and staccato," was influenced by the environment of large cities. This collection is seen as an early example of urban writing, akin to the Impressionist paintings of the time.324

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