In Musãƒâ©e Des Beaux Arts Who Does Auden Feel Best Understands Human Suffering?

Musee des Beaux Arts by Westward.H. Auden: Summary and Assay

This fine lyrical verse form, Musee des Beaux Arts, is one of Auden's most celebrated short poems. It was showtime published in 1939, though written past Auden during his winter sojourn in Brussels in 1938. Auden begins the lyric by praising the painters of quondam, like Brueghel, who understood the nature of suffering and humanity's indifference to it. This fact is well-illustrated by a number of paintings of the famous painter of Flanders.

W.H. Auden (1907-1973)

His painting shows that he realized that while individuals endure, the daily routine of life goes on as usual undisturbed. People swallow and drink and savour, the dogs continue to live their lives every bit usual, and children go along to play unconcerned even in the midst of such a dandy tragedy as the crucifixion of Christ.

Some devout, religious minded people may care for Christ, but humanity as a whole is not much interested either in the nativity of Christ or his crucifixion. This general indifference is clearly brought out by two paintings of Breughel, ane depicting the birth of Christ or his crucifixion. This general indifference is clearly brought out by 2 paintings of Breughel, one depicting the nativity of Christ, and the other his crucifixion. In the later painting equally Christ is crucified, the crucifier'due south horse goes on rubbing his backside against a tree, totally unconcerned with the great tragedy.

A tertiary motion-picture show of Brueghel entitled Icarus brings out this indifference even more vividly. It shows Icarus falling from the sky into the sea, farmers hearing the great splash, turning to encounter what the thing was, and and then turning once again to their piece of work entirely at ease and undisturbed. The great disaster is also observed by the crew of a ship at sea. They are much amazed to see a male child falling from the sky, and so only 2 white legs rising out of the bounding main. This amazement is their but response to the disaster. No try is made to rescue the fallen boy. The ship sails on unconcerned. The paintings fully bring out the indifference of humanity to individual suffering. It is taken as a affair of routine. This is the moral Auden has been able to draw from the painted scenery. Critics have taken the poem as a satire on the draconian indifference to suffering of the modern humanity. However, it should be noted that Auden has universalized the truth past referring to the imagery of Brueghel's paintings. Humanity was indifferent to the suffering of others in aboriginal times when Icarus fell, information technology was indifferent at a later date when Christ was crucified, and it is as well as indifferent today. Thus, the imagery of the paintings has been used every bit, "objective correlative" to universalize the man status.

The poem Musee des Beaux Arts, which means 'Museum of Fine Arts' in French, is a poem W.H. Auden equanimous after he visited that museum in Paris. The poem is a reflection (meditation) on the old paintings which draw life's reality strikingly. Auden mentions 3 of the paintings which bear witness the place of suffering in human life. Disasters, tragedies and sufferings are a function of life; they happen any fourth dimension. But life has to become on. The verse form likewise indirectly shows man beings' indifference towards their fellow beings. The poem begins and ends with meditation. The description in the center is too in an ordinary language and rhythm. The verse form is symbolic at places.

Auden praises the painters, like Brueghel, who understood the nature of suffering and humanity's indifference to it. This fact is well-illustrated by a number of paintings of the famous painter. The paintings fully bring out the indifference of humanity to individual suffering. Information technology is taken every bit a matter of routine. This is the moral Auden has been able to draw from the painted scenery. Critics accept taken the verse form as a satire on the soulless indifference to suffering of the modern humanity. However, it should exist noted that Auden has universalized the truth by referring to the imagery of Brueghel's paintings. Humanity was indifferent to the suffering of others in ancient times when Icarus fell, it was indifferent at a later date when Christ was crucified and it is also equally indifferent today. This is an irony, but this is also the reality of life. Whether we cry and panic or not, tragedies will happen and life volition still accept to go on. The tone of the verse form is easy and conversational. It is every bit if the poet were talking aloud to himself, or to some intimate friend.

It is not easy to say whether the poet has intended to satirize human being beings' indifference towards another. We are sometimes ignorant and blind to others' hurting, like the horse. Sometimes we say not fully understand, similar the children near the pond. Equally experienced people, we have learnt to be indifferent similar the farmer or the people in the ship. We have lost sympathy and understanding due to habit. Nosotros are 'fragile' and vulnerable ourselves like the ship in the sea. Just and then far as it happens to others, we cast the same look upon everything, like the sun that shines every bit upon hurting or pleasure. Merely, this is the reality. Our grumbling will not correct homo nature. And at to the lowest degree some amount of this indifference will exist necessary for us to bear the sufferings. Without any indifference at all, life would be unbearable.

The poem is elementary in its linguistic communication. Its description is the basis for meditation, which is the poem's theme. The speaker tells everything he feels. The language is simple. The tone and tempo (speed) creates the appropriate mood for the serious theme. The poem is unforgettable in its imagery.

Cite this Page!

Sharma, Kedar Due north. "Musee des Beaux Arts by Westward.H. Auden: Summary and Analysis." BachelorandMaster, 19 Nov. 2013, bachelorandmaster.com/britishandamericanpoetry/musee-des-beaux-arts.html.

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