One must be for ever drunken: that is the sole question of…
““One must be for ever drunken: that is the sole question of importance. If you would not feel the horrible burden of Time that bruises your shoulders and bends you to the earth, you must be drunken without cease. But how? With wine, with poetry, with virtue, with what you please. But be drunken.” — Charles Baudelaire - Intoxication””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Constant intoxication—through wine, poetry, virtue, or any pleasure—relieves time’s burden and is essential.
In simple terms: Stay perpetually inspired.
Key Takeaway
Pursue continuous inspiration.
Themes
intoxication
art
pleasure
time
philosophy
Mood
poetic
reflective
Type
Drunken:1
Poetry:1
Wine:1
Charles Baudelaire:0
Wine Poetry:0
Virtue Drunken:0
Drunken Cease:0
Baudelaire Intoxication:0
When to use this quote
- writing
- painting
- musical composition
- mindfulness practice
Key Concepts
existential freedom
creative immersion
self‑indulgence
Questions to Reflect On
- What healthy alternatives replace intoxication?
- How does art provide timeless relief?
A Different Perspective
May encourage harmful excess.