Introduction of the Poem:
This fine lyric Musee Des Beaux Arts (The Museum of Fine Arts) was composed by Auden during his stay in Brussels in 1938. It was written during winter and was published in 1939. He visited the museum of fine arts, Brussels and was very much attracted by the paintings of Brueghel, the Italian painter of the 16th century. Although Icarus forms the centre of the poem, Auden draws his imagery from the other two paintings of Brueghel also the Numbering at Bethlehem and the Massacre of the Innocents.
It is one of the most celebrated shorter poems of Auden, for it in Auden's view of suffering is elaborated to a point where it becomes art criticism. Brueghel's Icarus is the key of the poem. Icarus, who was the son of Bellerphone of Greece, had great ambition to fly to the sun. He tried to fly to the sun with the help of artificial wings in order to fulfil his greatest ambition. But a tragic accident took place with him. As he flew a little distance, the wax began to melt into drops by the intense heat of sun. Hence, he fell down headlong into the sea. The fall of Icarus was being watched by farmers working in the nearby fields as well as by a sailing ship, but the farmers and crew on the ship completely ignored the fall of Icarus.
Summary of the Poem:
The old painters and tragic dramatists were never wrong about suffering. They very well understood the nature of suffering and also humanity's indifference to it. While some people in the world are suffering, the others are busy doing their work. Someone is suffering while other is busy in eating or in opening the window of his drawing room or in walking.
Some religious minded people may care for Christ. They may eagerly wait for Christ to be reborn as has been foretold in the Christian scriptures; on the other hand, the children do not care much for religion and Christ, and so are indifferent to the possibility of his rebirth. They go on with their games such as skating on the frozen surface of a lake, and are not at all keen about the birth of Christ. The great and old painters never forgot to give expression of that great disaster in their paintings. Crucifixion of Christ is taken as an ordinary matter or a routine hanging of a criminal which does not move them or cause them much concern. This general indifference is clearly brought out by two paintings of Brueghels, one depicting the birth of Christ and other his crucifixion. In the latter painting as Christ is crucified, the crucifier's horse goes on rubbing his behind against a tree, totally unconcerned with the great tragedy.
A third picture of Brueghel entitled Icarus brings out this indifference of humanity clearly. It shows Icarus’ falling from the sky into the sea. When he falls into the sea, everything looks at him and turns its face away and remains busy in its work without any worry of his disaster. A farmer who was at work in the fields nearby the sea heard the sound of Icarus falling into the sea. But he did not attach much importance to the failure and downfall of Icarus. Icarus fell headlong. His head disappeared first in the greenish water of the sea. Some farmer must have observed merely two white legs rising out of the sea. The crew of the ship must have been surprised to see a boy falling down from the sky into the sea, but it made no efforts to rescue him. It sailed on undisturbed.
Critical Analysis of the Poem:
Introduction of the Poem:
The poem Musee Des Beaux Arts was composed by Auden during his stay in Brussels, in 1938. Auden was inspired by the paintings of Brueghel, the Italian painter of the 16th century, which he saw during his stay in the winter of 1938 in Brussels. Although Icarus forms the centre of the poem, Auden draws his imagery from the other two paintings of Brueghels also— the Numbering at Bethlehem and the Massacre of the Innocents. The thought of these two paintings supports the main argument Auden develops in his short lyrical piece.
Development of Thoughts:
Auden begins the poem by praising the painters of old, like Brueghels, 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. His painting shows that he realized that while individual suffer, the daily routine of the life goes on as usual undisturbed. People eat and drink and enjoy. The dogs continue to live their lives as usual, and children continue to play unconcerned even in the midst of such a great 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 birth of Christ or his crucifixion. This general indifference is clearly brought out by two paintings of Brueghels, one depicting the birth of Christ, and the other his crucifixion. In the latter painting as Christ is crucified, the crucifier's horse goes on rubbing his behind against a tree, totally unconcerned with the great tragedy.
Brueghel's third painting is entitled as Icarus. This painting shows Icarus falling from the sky into the sea, farmers heard the great splash, turned to see what the matter was, and then turned once again to their 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 boy falling from the sky, and then only two white legs rising out of the sea. This amazement is their only response to the disaster. No effort is made to rescue the fallen boy. The ship sails unconcerned. The paintings fully bring out the indifference of humanity to individual suffering. It is taken as a matter of routine.
Music and Melody:
The repetition of identical or similar sounds is not music but only one kind of music. In short, sound becomes stylistically important whenever a poet moves in any direction away from the sound of average discourse. The most obvious general directions to take are to make a language with either more than average number of repeated sounds or rhythmical patterns or with less. In Brueghel's Icarus, for instance, how everything turns away.
Personal Note in the Poem:
Here Auden becomes the spokesman of his time. In fact, Auden has the ability to be self - consciously personal. Through this ability he can bring the private into contact with the public. The poem, with its reliance on the intellectual and rational, focuses poetic attention on general. ideas which can apply to a wide group of human individuals and , in that sense , achieves public status . Auden's attempt is to re - establish the relation between the personal and the public which has been lost to so many in the modern world.
Offering Art Criticism:
It is one of the celebrated shorter poems of W. H. Auden. The poem offers Auden's Art Criticism. It gives the poet moral point of view drawn from a painting of Brueghel. The poem celebrates Auden's view of suffering and humanity's indifference to it. Auden finds that the routine of life goes on undisturbed by any kind of individual suffering People continue to enjoy their life even in the midst of such a great tragedy as the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Some devout, religious - minded people may care for Christ, but humanity as a whole is not much interested either in the birth of Christ or his crucifixion.
Leisurely and Casual Tone:
The leisurely and casual tone of the poem is in consonance with its argument which Auden develops in an ironical and detached manner. Auden's detachment from his subject is characteristic of the artistic detachment of the great painters who depicted such soul - stirring situations. The poem has the capacity to impinge itself on the minds of the readers with its supple argument, casual tone and verbal music.
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