(9 April 1821 – 31 August 1867 / Paris)

poet Charles Baudelaire
#67 on top 500 poets
What do you think this poem is about?

Get Drunk

Always be drunk.
That's it!
The great imperative!
In order not to feel
Time's horrid fardel
bruise your shoulders,
grinding you into the earth,
Get drunk and stay that way.
On what?
On wine, poetry, virtue, whatever.
But get drunk.
And if you sometimes happen to wake up
on the porches of a palace,
in the green grass of a ditch,
in the dismal loneliness of your own room,
your drunkenness gone or disappearing,
ask the wind,
the wave,
the star,
the bird,
the clock,
ask everything that flees,
everything that groans
or rolls
or sings,
everything that speaks,
ask what time it is;
and the wind,
the wave,
the star,
the bird,
the clock
will answer you:
"Time to get drunk!
Don't be martyred slaves of Time,
Get drunk!
Stay drunk!
On wine, virtue, poetry, whatever!"

Submitted: Friday, January 03, 2003


Read poems about / on: poetry, star, sometimes, wind, green, time

Comments about this poem (Get Drunk by Charles Baudelaire )

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  • Brianna Burkholder (9/30/2009 2:38:00 PM)

    What a raw, simple, yet so lovely notion! Ah, but Charles! There is beauty in soberiety aswell haha

    2 person liked.
    		6 person did not like.
  • Jay Spence (3/4/2007 11:52:00 AM)

    'Get drunk!
    Stay drunk!
    On wine, virtue, poetry, whatever! '

    I love that.

    And to 'Amber Zenisek', I'm sorry about your situation, but I doubt that was the point Baudelaire was trying to make. And you can't blame your father for your or your brother's behavior. As worthless as your father may be, the only person who can make your life better is you. That was a tough lesson for me to learn, so I wish you the best of luck.

    3 person liked.
    		0 person did not like.
  • Ashley Hawkes (10/5/2006 9:23:00 PM)

    Brilliant!
    This is poetry to live by.

    2 person liked.
    		0 person did not like.
  • Michelle Powley (4/12/2005 1:51:00 PM)

    I am using this poem 'get Drunk' by Charles Baudelaire for my french project!
    it seems really cool and i like the style of writing that is used. If you know more about this poem feel free to e-mail me and tell me more about it. E-mail me at nor.powleym@nearnorth.edu.on.ca. Please huury up though because my project is due on Monday April 18th. Thanks Michelle

    1 person liked.
    		2 person did not like.
Read all 4 comments »

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