Charles Baudelaire was a nineteenth century French poet, translator and critic, who left a significant influence on the contemporary art and literature.  Known especially for his works like Les Fleurs du mal and Petits poèmes en prose, he singlehandedly introduced Edgar Allen Poe to the French people. However, his personal life was not at all smooth and he never got his due while he was alive. An unusual child, he grew very close to his mother after his father’s death and therefore felt desolate when she married for the second time. Although he began writing poems in high school, he first came in contact with the literary world after passing his baccalauréat. Very soon he became known as dandy, spending more than his income, which led him into a debt trap that continued to haunt him all his life. He died in poverty at the age of forty-six, eaten away by syphilis, excessive drinking and opium consumption. It was only after his death that he started receiving international acclaim.