"I can barely conceive of a type of beauty in which there is no Melancholy"
- Charles Baudelaire
About this Quote
Charles Baudelaire's quote talks to the idea that appeal and melancholy are intertwined. He suggests that beauty can not exist without a hint of sadness, which it is impossible to conceive of a type of beauty that does not consist of a tip of melancholy. This idea is rooted in the Romantic concept that appeal is typically found in the affecting and the tragic. Baudelaire's quote suggests that charm is not just discovered in the joyful and the uplifting, but likewise in the affecting and the melancholic. He recommends that appeal is often discovered in the sadness of life, and that it is difficult to separate the 2. This idea is more supported by the notion that charm is often found in the imperfect and the flawed. By welcoming the melancholic, we can find charm in the most unforeseen places.
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