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0 min readIntroduction
W.H. Auden, a prominent 20th-century poet, frequently engaged with history, art, and mythology to explore the complexities of the modern human experience. His poetry is characterized by intellectual rigor, formal versatility, and a keen awareness of the political and social upheavals of his time. Both “Musée des Beaux Arts” (1938) and “The Shield of Achilles” (1955) demonstrate Auden’s distinctive method of employing mythical narratives – specifically, paintings depicting mythical scenes and the story of Achilles from Homer’s *Iliad* – to illuminate the banality of evil and the disillusionment of the post-war world. This essay will examine how Auden strategically uses the mythical past not as a nostalgic escape, but as a critical lens through which to examine contemporary anxieties and moral failings.
“Musée des Beaux Arts”: The Myth of Icarus and Indifference
“Musée des Beaux Arts” is inspired by Brueghel’s paintings, particularly *Landscape with the Fall of Icarus*, which depicts the mythical fall of Icarus as a minor event occurring in the background of everyday life. Auden uses this visual framing to critique human indifference to suffering. The poem meticulously details the mundane activities – someone skating, a dog scratching, farmers continuing their work – that continue despite Icarus’s tragic demise.
The myth of Icarus, traditionally understood as a cautionary tale about hubris and the dangers of exceeding human limits, is recontextualized by Auden. Instead of focusing on Icarus’s ambition and fall, the poem emphasizes the world’s lack of attention to his plight. The lines “How everything turns away / Quite leisurely from the disaster” highlight this pervasive apathy. This indifference, Auden suggests, is not an anomaly but a fundamental aspect of the human condition. The poem subtly connects this indifference to the looming threat of war in 1938, suggesting a similar lack of concern for the impending catastrophe.
Auden’s use of the past – the Renaissance painting and the Greek myth – serves to universalize the contemporary experience. The fall of Icarus becomes a symbol for all unnoticed suffering, and the poem’s quiet tone underscores the chilling normalcy of human cruelty and neglect.
“The Shield of Achilles”: A Distorted Heroic Narrative
“The Shield of Achilles” takes a different approach, directly engaging with the narrative of Homer’s *Iliad*. The poem recounts the forging of Achilles’ shield by Hephaestus, as described in Book XVIII of the *Iliad*. However, Auden dramatically alters the content of the shield’s decorations. Instead of depicting scenes of heroic battles, feasts, and dances – as Homer describes – Hephaestus crafts a bleak and desolate landscape reflecting the horrors of the 20th century.
The contrast between the mythical expectation and the contemporary reality is stark. Achilles, a symbol of heroic valor and martial prowess, is presented with a shield that foreshadows a world devoid of glory and filled with suffering. The shield depicts “a ragged plateau / With three lone figures, their gestures / Meaning nothing,” and a “barbed wire / Enclosing an arbitrary spot.” These images evoke the concentration camps and the dehumanizing effects of totalitarian regimes.
Auden’s use of the mythical past here is not to celebrate heroism but to expose its obsolescence. The shield, traditionally a symbol of protection and honor, becomes a symbol of vulnerability and despair. The poem suggests that the heroic ideals of the past are irrelevant in a world defined by violence, alienation, and the loss of meaning. The very act of retelling the myth serves to highlight the chasm between the classical world and the modern one.
Comparative Analysis: Myth as a Vehicle for Disillusionment
Both poems demonstrate Auden’s masterful use of the mythical past to illuminate contemporary experiences. In “Musée des Beaux Arts,” the myth of Icarus is used to expose human indifference, while in “The Shield of Achilles,” the myth of Achilles is used to critique the decline of heroism. Both poems share a common theme of disillusionment – a rejection of traditional values and a recognition of the inherent flaws of the human condition.
However, the poems differ in their approach. “Musée des Beaux Arts” is more subtle and understated, relying on the visual imagery of Brueghel’s painting to convey its message. “The Shield of Achilles” is more direct and confrontational, explicitly contrasting the mythical expectation with the contemporary reality. Both, however, utilize the authority and resonance of the classical past to amplify their critique of the present.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Auden’s “Musée des Beaux Arts” and “The Shield of Achilles” are powerful examples of how the mythical past can be used to illuminate contemporary experiences. By strategically employing allusions to classical mythology, Auden exposes the banality of evil, the indifference of humanity, and the obsolescence of traditional heroic ideals. His poems serve as a stark reminder of the enduring relevance of the past and its capacity to shed light on the complexities of the present, offering a profound and unsettling commentary on the human condition in the 20th century and beyond.
Answer Length
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