Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Self-Communing," by Charles Baudelaire, presents a poetic landscape where sorrow is not just an emotion, but a companion in the journey of life. The speaker addresses his own sorrow as though it were a person, capable of desires and actions, and takes it by the hand to wander through a cityscape that mirrors their internal struggles. This city is cast in twilight, a time that brings "relief, to some a tear," serving as a backdrop against which Baudelaire examines the relationship between personal suffering and the pursuit of wisdom.

The poem commences with an appeal to Sorrow to be wise and still, highlighting the notion that sorrow can be instructive, a teacher of sorts. "Thou didst desire evening--lo! 'tis near," the speaker remarks, implying that sorrow has been waiting for this particular moment of darkness to descend. Darkness and evening here serve as metaphors for introspection, a pause from the relentless pace of the world to allow for self-examination and the gaining of wisdom.

As evening falls over the city, we are shown a portrait of society, which the speaker dismisses as a "vile herd of men." These are people engrossed in "lust of pleasure" and "tyranny severe," hedonistic pursuits that yield no lasting happiness but rather "reap remorse in the pursuit of ill." This is the antithesis of the wise sorrow that the speaker cherishes. While others are numbing their emotions with fleeting pleasures, the speaker embraces his sorrow, imploring it to "place thy hand in mine-come here/Far from them."

Baudelaire uses powerful imagery to evoke the past and the present, merging them into a single tableau. He invites us to "See the years long dead, lean down/From heaven's high walls, in antiquated gown," conjuring a haunting image of time past as ever-present, ever-judging. Even "Regret, with smiles, springs from the depths to sight," as though to remind us that sorrow and regret aren't just punitive-they can teach us valuable lessons.

The poem concludes with the fall of night, described as "a long shroud drawn eastward to the west," a poetic embodiment of the inevitable approach of death. Yet, instead of despair, the speaker finds comfort in this imagery, urging us to "Hear, hear, dear friend, the steps of welcome night." The phrase "welcome night" reveals the essence of the poem-that sorrow and wisdom, darkness and insight, are bound in a paradoxical relationship. The night isn't just a time of darkness but a sanctuary for those willing to face their sorrows, to commune with themselves and perhaps emerge wiser.

Through "Self-Communing," Baudelaire offers not merely a bleak view of existence but also a manual for living. He invites us to seek wisdom in our sorrows, to step away from the mindless pursuits that preoccupy society, and to find solace and understanding in the quietude that others might shun. This is a nuanced view of sorrow as an instructive emotion, one that can deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world if we're willing to embrace it.

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