Reading Response :: Beating Beggars.

I must say, I adore Charles Baudelaire, he’s my kind of poet. He says a lot of things I would not think about, but fancy the idea of, once he mentions it. His poem, “Let’s Beat Up the Poor!” is a work of brilliance to me, first of all for its content. It was so unexpected for me how his views of the poor would be, and when he decides to raise a man to his former glory by beating it into him, well, it is a very captivating thought. I must say that I like this poem better than some of his others, his poems about the poor were much less self involved then those about “crowds” or “solitude.”
I very much enjoyed the words he uses to describe the writers of the books he speaks of in the beginning (such as “managers of public happiness” and “old wives”). His speech is so thought provoking, the words he uses bring about images that would not be expected from such a choice. I was very interested in the reference to Socrates and Lelut. Not knowing who Lelut was, I researched it, and came across this site (note, it can only be accessed in the Pratt network). There is a lot of really in-depth information about this poem, and the more philosophical things that Baudelaire was getting at through his description, including his juxtaposition (I hate that word… it sounds so snobby Y^Y) of the comical fight with the possible seriousness of his words. They also emphasize his insanity, saying that his surpasses that of Socrates and his violent attack seems almost unreasonable.
I very much suggest reading the site, as it explains the Physician-Philosopher type of Baudelaire, and his insanity much more effectively than I could ever.

To me, his reasons seem very reasonable. It is very clear that he is putting the man in a situation where he deserves his money. He shows a lot of thought behind what he does, even if it seems impulsive, he displays planning through his examination of his surroundings so as not to draw attention. Despite the fact that he is “born fragile,” he attacks the man who is larger and stronger than he, for a simple experiment. The idea definitely entertains me as I find myself thinking in that same vein quite often.