In “A Carcass,” Charles Baudelaire manages to include various interesting contrasts in the poem. He begins the poem by recalling with his “love” (line 1) about a “beautiful morning in June” (line 2). As the reader, you start out visualizing a sunny, nice, flowery summer morning. However, as you keep reading, Baudelaire contrasts this beautiful morning with the carcass that was seen. He becomes extremely descriptive about this carcass as we can see in the following excerpt:
“Her legs were spread out like a lecherous whore,
Sweating out the poisonous fumes,
Who opened in slick invitational style
Her stinking and festering womb.” (lines 5-8)
It seems that Baudelaire somewhat personifies this “thing” which is just a dead human, or animal, and is not supposed to have personality. He gives this non-living thing personality by giving it verbs such as “sweating.” Why is it that Baudelaire used the word “sweating” when describing the fumes coming out of the body? He must have wanted to give some sort of life to this dead creature through his words. He also describes the carcass’ legs as “opened” and inviting, like a “lecherous whore.” Again, we see this dead creature coming to life. We see this dead creature as appealing to Baudelaire in a state that does not constitute death. His vulgar contrast of life and death perhaps suggests that he is able to bring life out of this carcass. He is able to see the humanity and liveliness of a still, and dead creature. His words show that this carcass has personality, beyond its death. Perhaps he is suggesting that his words and poem may bring life out of death.
As Baudelaire continues to describe the carcass, he gives the feeling that nature works in harmony to do what it needs o do in order to bring the carcass to the state it needs to be in. We can see this when he says:
“The sun on this rottenness focused its rays
To cook the cadaver till done …(lines 9-10)
…And the sky cast an eye on the marvelous meat… (line 13)”
It is as if the sun, and sky work in harmony in order to prepare the carcass for the next step, or do what nature inclines for. We also see Baudelaire personifying nature here, by giving the sun the verb of focusing, and allowing the sky to “cast an eye.” It is interesting, however, that in the previous excerpt we saw the carcass being personified as if it had life. However, in this excerpt, as soon as nature is involved, and as soon as Baudelaire begins to personify the sun and sky, he suddenly stops personifying the carcass, by calling it “meat” and taking it away from this ability to have lifelike abilities. Perhaps he does this to show the superiority of nature.
Baudelaire goes on to say:
“The shapes wore away, as if only a dream
Like a sketch that is left on the page
Which the artist forgot and can only complete
On the canvas, with memory’s aid (lines 29-32)”
I feel that again, Baudelaire, is trying to show how he, as the artist is able to bring color to this “sketch” that has lost itself. He, as the artist is able to tell what something is that other people cannot see, such as this carcass. He sees the life past the death of this carcass. He sees more than just a dead thing, and I think that he is trying to say that through his art, or poems in this case, he can bring life to this dead thing and show people what it actually is beyond death. I feel this concept again in this last excerpt:
“Ah then, oh my beauty, explain to the worms
Who cherish your body so fine,
That I am the keeper for corpses of love
Of the form, and the essence divine! (lines 45-48)”
Again, I feel that Baudelaire is saying that he will keep the memories of the “form,” or souls of the bodies. He will allow them to be immortal through his art, and poems.