Quincey, Baudelaire and `Le Cygne'

Parallels of theme, symbol, and structure between De Quincey's Suspiria de Profundis and Baudelaire's "Cygne" suggest some influence of the former upon the latter. De Quincey's description of Levana is similar to that of the creation of man in Ovid's Metamorphoses that is alluded to in "Le Cygne." In all three cases, the upward movement toward spiritual dignity is contrasted with and yet dependent upon the downward movement of grief and imprisonment in the physical. Furthermore, both Baudelaire (Andromache, the swan, the black woman) and De Quincey (Our Ladies of Sorrow) use three symbolic figures to act out these themes. Finally, the structure of "Le Cygne" is an excellent example of the aesthetic outlined in "Le Thyrse" (Petits poèmes en prose), an image that also comes from De Quincey. However, Baudelaire's more disciplined use of this structure and his more modern conception of allegory result in greater dramatic tension and aesthetic unity. (JEG)