WH Auden - Musée des Beaux Arts
Event Details
Landscape with the Fall of Icarus, Pieter Brueghel the Elder, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
About suffering they were never wrong,
The old Masters: how well they understood
Its human position: how it takes place
Written in December 1938 while the poet was living in Brussels, Musée des Beaux Arts describes, through the description of the painting Landscape with the Fall of Icarus by Pieter Brueghel the Elder, how we deal with the reality of suffering and loss. This is an example of an ekphrastic* poem, a vivid description of a work of art, examining and expanding on its meaning though narration and imagination.
Musée des Beaux Arts is one of WH Auden’s most celebrated and anthologised poems. Over the course of two hours, through repeated readings and discussion, we will work together towards a deeper understanding of this exceptional poem.
* ‘Description’ in Greek. An ekphrastic poem is a vivid description of a scene or, more commonly, a work of art. Through the imaginative act of narrating and reflecting on the ‘action’ of a painting or sculpture, the poet may amplify and expand its meaning.
SALON DETAILS:
- Single meeting study facilitated by Caroline Hammond
- Wednesday 8 November, 6.00 – 8.00 pm (UK)
- £30 to include background materials and opening notes
- Musée des Beaux Arts is available to read on the Poetry by Heart website
