Quote by Charles Baudelaire
I have cultivated my hysteria with delight and terror. Now I suffer continually from vertigo, and today, 23rd of January, 1862, I have received a singular warning, I have felt the wind of the wing of madness pass over me.
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Summary
In this quote, the speaker suggests that they have intentionally embraced their own hysteria, finding both pleasure and fear in it. As a result, they now experience a constant state of dizziness, or vertigo. The speaker then refers to a specific day, January 23, 1862, when they received a peculiar warning. They describe feeling the fleeting presence of madness, likening it to the wind of a passing wing. This quote hints at the speaker's descent into madness, highlighting the complex relationship between enjoyment, terror, and the ever-looming threat of losing control.