Essay Questions

Why is Charles Baudelaire interested in writing about drug abuse?

The author is focused on drug abuse because it is disparaging to human mental health. Specifically, the author focuses on opium and Hashish drugs which are commonly abused by people. The effects of these drugs are devastating. For instance, misuse of opium and Hashish gives an individual a false sense of contentment. Nevertheless, these drugs do more harm to the health of the abuser. The misuse of these drugs also gives a false sense of ingenuity and fancy.

What is the phase of intemperance when an individual abuses hashish drug?

Under the poem of ‘hashish’, the poet provides one main phase of inebriation when the hashish drug is abused. When this drug is abused, an individual gets jovial and he starts developing trivial ideas with complex meanings. Besides these breezy feelings and ideas, the abuser gets unfriendly physical symptoms like dehydration, taciturnity, and tremors. Hashish drug is addictive and it makes one entirely depend on it for him to function normally.

What is the poet’s experience on the misuse of opium drug?

Charles Baudelaire has had first-hand experience with opium and he shares his experience with the readers. According to the poet, opium is an addictive drug with devastating body effects. Consuming the drug is fun because it makes someone feel high and happy. However, it reaches a point where one cannot survive without using opium. Charles further contends that one can get rehabilitated even after getting addicted to opium. However, he advises that opium is a treacherous drug because it harms and destroys the body without one’s knowledge.