"Musee des Beaux Arts"

Paper Summary:

W.H. Auden's poem, "Musee des Beaux Arts", was inspired by the images of suffering in a painting by Brueghel. The paper shows how the central image of the painting serves to convey Auden's idea that only artists, the "Old Masters", truly understood suffering from a global point of view.

From the Paper:

"Auden uses the structure of the poem to visually present his conflict. The first part of the poem is a general depiction of suffering and the indifference to this suffering. Whereas he names specific instances of suffering, the poet does not put a name to any of the persons engaged either in suffering or in indifference. He only refers to them only as "the aged" and "children". The same is true of artists, who receive the general reference of "Old Masters" in the first part of the poem. During the second part of the poem Auden suddenly turns to specific suffering. One specific person, depicted in one specific painting by one specific artist is mentioned."

More papers on "Musee des Beaux Arts":

• Poem Review # 1906 : "W.H. Auden's "'Musee des Beaux Arts"
• Poem Review # 146678 : "The True Meaning Behind the Allusions in "Musee des Beaux Arts"
• Analytical Essay # 17062 : "W.H. Auden's "Musee de Beaux Arts"

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