In the poem, "Musee' des Beau Arts," by W.H. Auden, the narrator compares his feelings on human
suffering to the painting, "Landscape with the Fall of Icarus," by Pieter Brueghel. The narrators
strong diction, use of imagery and tone clearly allows the audience to view his moral stance on
the subject. Auden takes a stance a few lines into the poem. His diction apparent and his outrage
evident regarding the suffering when he says, "About suffering they were never wrong,"(Auden3).
He goes on to talk about how "the Old Masters/understood its human position,"(Auden 4,5). Accepting life as it is. Throughout the entire poem the narrators continued use of word play sets
the audience up for the picture he was painting. Human suffering taking place while people just
went on with the leisures of their own lives.
The use of imagery first in the paintings title, "Landscape with the Fall of Icarus," one starts to
visualize trees, grass, woods and a pond. The pond becomes clearly present when the narrator
speaks of, "children skating on a pond at the edge of the wood,"(Auden 10,11). Setting the minds
eye up for the tragedy that's taking place, while all things leisurely are going on in spite of disaster,
"the ploughman may Have heard the Splash, the forsaken cry,"(Auden19,20). He chose to ignore what was going on around him, "But for him it was not important failure, the sun shone,"(Auden 21).
Audens tone remained consistent thoughout this piece. From the first stanza when he speaks of suffering to the second stanza when he speaks of the image of a boy falling out of the sky. His
outrage is apparent. One can almost hear his disdain for society and its lack of concern
when he says, "That even the dreadful martyrdom must run its course,"(Auden13). Which he
says in order to express to the reader the extent of his disgust.
Audens, "Musee' des Beus Art," and his comparison to the painting, "Landscape the Fall of Icarus,"
is a call to the human condition. Telling the story with purposeful word choices while painting the
picture in the minds eye with use of strong images, his message was delivered and received. Society
must not continue with its self consumed way of life Attention must be made to the suffering around us or even martyrdom is in vain.
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