Lesson Overview
Featured Article: A Poem (and a Painting) About the Suffering That Hides in Plain Sight by Elisa Gabbert
With war looming, W.H. Auden stood in a museum and was inspired to write. The resulting poem, Muse des Beaux Arts, is one of the most famous ever written about a work of art. More than 80 years later, with war raging in Europe once again, human suffering is forcing us to confront many of the same issues.
In this lesson, you will experience a passionate and poetic close reading of Muse des Beaux Arts by the poet and essayist Elisa Gabbert, embedded in an interactive that can help you zoom in on specific details of both the poem and the painting that inspired it.
Then, via a menu of Going Further activities, we invite you to write your own analysis and interpretation of a poem or painting using the featured article as a mentor text; write your own ekphrastic poem; or learn more about W.H. Auden.
Part 1: Look closely at the painting Landscape With the Fall of Icarus by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, circa 1560.
Before reading the poem that is at the center of todays lesson, take several minutes to look closely at the painting that inspired it.
Then, respond in writing or through a class discussion, or conversation with a partner or small group, to the following prompts. The first three are borrowed from our weekly Whats Going On in This Picture? feature:
Share your thoughts with a group or the whole class: What ideas do you have in common with others? Where do you differ in your analysis or interpretations? What questions do you have?
Finally, discuss the title of the painting, Landscape With the Fall of Icarus. Icarus was the character in Greek mythology who flew too close to the sun on wax wings and fell into the sea and drowned. Why do you think Icarus the drowning man in the lower right corner of the painting is not the center of the painting?
Part 2: Read and respond to the poem Muse des Beaux Arts by W.H. Auden, 1938.
Now youll repeat the same set of activities with the poem. First, read it at least three times, both aloud and to yourself. Mark up a copy of it (PDF) with observations as you go. You can listen to W.H. Auden, the poet, read the poem here.
Return to the same partner, group or full class you joined to discuss the painting, and respond to the prompts again:
Whats going on in this poem?
What do you see, read or hear that makes you say that?
What more can you find?
Share your thoughts with a group or the whole class: What ideas do you have in common with others? Where do you differ in your analysis or interpretations? What questions do you have?
Finally, discuss the point of view of the poems speaker. What is this speaker saying about the Bruegel painting? About human suffering in general? How does this perspective resonate with your own understanding of suffering?
Note to teachers: The interactive article is longer than our typical featured pieces. If your time is limited, you might ask your students to read up to the lines Ignoring them is the most natural thing in the world. It is also a moral error., which is about a third of the way through the piece. They can still address the questions below.
Read the featured article, then answer the following questions:
1. Which images, themes, details, words or lines did Ms. Gabbert identify? Which aspects of the Bruegel painting and the Auden poem stood out for her? What personal connections did she make?
2. How did your observations from the warm-up activity compare with those of Ms. Gabbert? Does her analysis make you see the painting or the poem differently?
3. Ms. Gabbert says of the painting, As you can see, its not about the fall of Icarus, exactly. What does she mean by that statement? What, in her eyes, is the painting about?
4. Ms. Gabbert writes of the poem:
Somethings only a disaster if we notice it.
The message seems simple enough, but the poem is full of riches, hidden details that you might miss if, like a farmer with his head down or a distracted museumgoer you werent looking at the edges.
The edges, as Auden keeps reminding us, are part of the picture.
Ignoring them is the most natural thing in the world. It is also a moral error.
What do you think of this interpretation? Is ignoring disaster both the most natural thing and a moral error? Explain your thinking.
5. Of the poems final lines, Ms. Gabbert writes:
Theres a feeling of reluctant acceptance in the poems final lines, a surrender to forces beyond ones control, which may be the engines of commerce, or something like God, a God who either punishes us for our failings or has simply set the clockwork world into motion, and let it go.
On some reads Auden may seem to be offering a pass this is the way of the world, after all.
At other times it strikes me as implicating Icarus, Daedalus, the ploughman and shepherd, and God or the gods all equally as well as us you, me and Auden strolling the museum or reading the poem in comfort.
Do we spare a thought for the suffering, or sail calmly on?
How does Ms. Gabberts interpretation of the poem and its final lines compare with yours? What does it mean for a poem to implicate the author and the reader? What do you think is Audens moral stance on the seeming indifference of humans to the suffering of others? Do you think the poem excuses humanity for its indifference to suffering? Or implicates us? Provide evidence to justify your claim.
6. Why do you think Auden titled the poem Muse des Beaux Arts? If you had to give the poem or the painting an alternative title, what would it be and why?
7. What big takeaways are you left with after this experience of both closely observing yourself and following someone elses close observation. What qualities of the poem do you find most meaningful, moving or memorable in the end? Would you recommend it to others? Why or why not?
1. Create your own zoomed in analysis of a poem or a painting.
Ms. Gabberts interactive essay is a kind of instructive how-to for learning to read a poem, or a painting, closely. What lessons did you learn, if any, about appreciating poetry from her commentary?
Now its your turn: Write your own analysis using the featured article as a mentor text. Consider how you can draw on Ms. Gabbertss vivid, sensory language and ability to zoom in on many aspects of a single poem or artwork in order to draw conclusions about context and meaning for your own piece.
You can choose a poem or a painting, and for inspiration you might view the other works that are part of this New York Times series, Close Read. For example, you might look at Elizabeth Bishops poem One Art, discussed in the interactive 19 Lines That Turn Anguish Into Art.
You can write your analysis and interpretation as an essay, or consider a creative presentation application like Google Slides or Prezi to help you focus your audience on the details of the artwork you find most significant.
Use the questions from the warm-up activity to begin:
You might also think about questions like these:
What do you notice about the various elements of this work? (If it is a poem, think about aspects like the imagery, structure, punctuation and word choice. If it is a painting, think about things like the use of space, line, color and texture.)
Why does this work stand out to you? What do you find interesting or moving about it?
What connections can you make between the work and your own life or experience? Does it remind you of anything else youve read or seen?
What do you think is the purpose of this artwork? What do you think the artist wanted to communicate?
What questions would you ask the artist about this work?
2. Learn more about Audens life and his poetry.
Some of Ms. Gabberts analysis of the poem focuses on W.H. Auden the poet and the times he lived in. For example, she writes that the preoccupations of his work during this period were social and political the rising threat of totalitarianism, the evils of capitalism. How does having this historical context help to illuminate the themes and meaning of the poem?
You can learn more about Audens life and work by visiting some of these free online resources below, including poems, recordings, criticism, timelines and photos. You can also read his Times obituary from 1973 here.
After exploring one or more of these resources, discuss: What are two new things you learned about Auden his life and work? How does it affect the way you understand his poetry? What new question do you have about him or poetry in general?
3. Write your own poem based on a work of art.
Ms. Gabbert notes that Muse des Beaux Arts is one of the most famous examples of ekphrasis, a poem based on another artwork. Have you ever been inspired by a painting or work of art? What emotions and thoughts did it evoke? What about it made the experience memorable?
Now its your turn: Write a poem about a visual work of art, whether a painting, sculpture, photograph or drawing. Your poem can be long or short, rhymed or unrhymed, in prose or in verse as long as it is related to your chosen work of art.
Want more Lessons of the Day? You can find them all here.
Read the original post:
- 'Southern/Modern': Rediscovering the Radical Art Below the Mason-Dixon Line - The New York Times - December 3rd, 2023 [December 3rd, 2023]
- Meet Ferrisburgh, a Rescued Kestrel Who Started Painting After a ... - Smithsonian Magazine - December 3rd, 2023 [December 3rd, 2023]
- New to the NW, he's painting 100 Chestnut Hill scenes - Chestnut Hill Local - December 3rd, 2023 [December 3rd, 2023]
- 10 Best Face Painting Supplies for 2023 - The Jerusalem Post - December 3rd, 2023 [December 3rd, 2023]
- Gond painting by Jangan Singh Shyam on display - Daily Pioneer - December 3rd, 2023 [December 3rd, 2023]
- Painting the town Christmas - Moorpark Acorn - December 2nd, 2023 [December 2nd, 2023]
- Margate painting bike lanes green to prevent drivers from using them - Press of Atlantic City - December 2nd, 2023 [December 2nd, 2023]
- Review: Glory of the World: Color Field Painting (1950s to 1983) - Observer - December 2nd, 2023 [December 2nd, 2023]
- Conservator Restore This Renaissance Painting of a Medici - My Modern Met - December 2nd, 2023 [December 2nd, 2023]
- Gauguin's shocking claim: Van Gogh painted the Sunflowers ... - Art Newspaper - December 2nd, 2023 [December 2nd, 2023]
- Jeff Tech Art Club students continue window painting tradition in ... - The Courier-Express - December 2nd, 2023 [December 2nd, 2023]
- From Loewe to Swarovski, hand-painted murals get a luxury upgrade - Jing Daily - December 2nd, 2023 [December 2nd, 2023]
- Painting Perfection with Electric Paint Sprayers: A Comprehensive ... - Robotics and Automation News - December 2nd, 2023 [December 2nd, 2023]
- Joe Venditti's legacy as the Eagles' 'Official Painting Coach' lives on - PhiladelphiaEagles.com - December 2nd, 2023 [December 2nd, 2023]
- The Huntington Acquires Historic Portrait by Renowned Spanish ... - The South Pasadenan - December 2nd, 2023 [December 2nd, 2023]
- An Oklahoma love story: How an early Oklahoman's collection of ... - tulsapeople.com - December 2nd, 2023 [December 2nd, 2023]
- Pierre Bonnards paintings brim with vitality in Kimbell exhibition - The Dallas Morning News - December 2nd, 2023 [December 2nd, 2023]
- Adel Library to Host Teen Painting Contest and Hometown Holiday ... - Raccoon Valley Radio - December 2nd, 2023 [December 2nd, 2023]
- PETA to Auction off the Iconic Anti Bullfighting Painting "The ... - PR Web - December 2nd, 2023 [December 2nd, 2023]
- Isle of Wight students 'paint the plow' - Smithfield Times - Smithfield Times - December 2nd, 2023 [December 2nd, 2023]
- A Piet Mondrian painting has been hanging upside-down for decades, art historian says - CNN - November 1st, 2022 [November 1st, 2022]
- Eastern Flank Battlefield to Host "Painting the Parks" Art Show - Williamson Source - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]
- This Botticelli Painting, Once Owned by the Late Paul Allen, Could Fetch $40 Million at Auction - Robb Report - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]
- So the internet thinks there's an iPhone in this 19th century painting - Creative Bloq - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]
- Long-Unseen Painting of Jamaican Man Is Identified as Rare Richmond Barth Work - ARTnews - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]
- Halloween Window Painting contest will bring downtown windows to life - The Messenger - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]
- TCU Painting U.S. Cities With Leading Alums in Honor of 150th Birthday - Fort Worth Magazine - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]
- Oakland painter Mary Lovelace ONeal honored at On the Edge gala at de Young Museum - SF Chronicle Datebook - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]
- Celebrate Las Vegas Pride this weekend with lights, drinks, and body painting - KLAS - 8 News Now - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]
- How to Paint (with Pictures) - wikiHow - August 20th, 2022 [August 20th, 2022]
- 50 Most Famous Paintings of All Time in the Art History (Ranked) - August 20th, 2022 [August 20th, 2022]
- Mural painting brings community together - University of Wisconsin-Madison - August 20th, 2022 [August 20th, 2022]
- Bold: Painting in the outdoors is nice work when you get it - Sudbury.com - August 20th, 2022 [August 20th, 2022]
- Beauty in the banal: Exhibit celebrates painter who wrote the book on Midwest landscapes and much more - WGLT - August 20th, 2022 [August 20th, 2022]
- British Rapper Aitch Working to Fix Manchester Mural of Joy Divisions Ian Curtis That Was Painted Over for His Album Advertisement - Variety - August 20th, 2022 [August 20th, 2022]
- Was That Painting Stolen by Nazis? New York Museums Are Now Required to Tell You - Smithsonian Magazine - August 20th, 2022 [August 20th, 2022]
- Southside Park gets fresh coat of paint for National Painting Week - ABC10.com KXTV - August 20th, 2022 [August 20th, 2022]
- Meet the Farmington man who sells his paintings next to his car downtown - Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel - August 20th, 2022 [August 20th, 2022]
- LA Covers 1 Million Square Feet Of Roads Will Special Paint To Cool The City Down - CarScoops - August 20th, 2022 [August 20th, 2022]
- Painting in the Light - Santa Barbara News-Press - August 20th, 2022 [August 20th, 2022]
- This 1645 Painting Is A Spitting Image Of Connor McDavid -- And It's Almost Scary - Washington Hockey Now - August 20th, 2022 [August 20th, 2022]
- MADE: Paint additive becomes salty success - Greater Wilmington Business Journal - August 20th, 2022 [August 20th, 2022]
- Creatively Centered: Paint Grand Traverse wraps week with gala, block party - Traverse City Record Eagle - August 20th, 2022 [August 20th, 2022]
- Court sides with MFAH in dispute over painting once sold to Hitlers art collector - Houston Public Media - June 3rd, 2022 [June 3rd, 2022]
- Water Inspires And Imbues Milwaukee Native Khari Turners Joyful Paintings - Forbes - June 3rd, 2022 [June 3rd, 2022]
- Interview With Dave Cole of Coastal Painting Associates - Kingwood - June 3rd, 2022 [June 3rd, 2022]
- 5 Times the Mona Lisa Was Vandalized or Stolen - ARTnews - June 3rd, 2022 [June 3rd, 2022]
- How Alma Thomas Arrived at Her Seminal Style of Vibrant Abstract Painting - Artsy - June 3rd, 2022 [June 3rd, 2022]
- Mahmoud Said's painting 'Dervishes' holds its position as most expensive in Middle East - Egypt Today - June 3rd, 2022 [June 3rd, 2022]
- 'I Painted The QueenShe Was Surprising In So Many Ways' - Newsweek - June 3rd, 2022 [June 3rd, 2022]
- Painting of Saco's Jubilee Park covered bridge Selected for exhibition - Press Herald - June 3rd, 2022 [June 3rd, 2022]
- What Did Will Paint in 'Stranger Things'? - We Got This Covered - June 3rd, 2022 [June 3rd, 2022]
- Claude Rutault, French Artist Who Rewrote the Rules of Painting, Dies at 80 - ARTnews - June 3rd, 2022 [June 3rd, 2022]
- Powerful expression: Artist captures emotion of everyday life in paintings - Daily Journal - June 3rd, 2022 [June 3rd, 2022]
- Secrets of the Book Designer: On Typography, Painting, and Finding That Single Visual Moment - Literary Hub - June 3rd, 2022 [June 3rd, 2022]
- Do You Know The Story Of Lincoln's Famous Painted Rock? - q1065.fm - June 3rd, 2022 [June 3rd, 2022]
- 2022 Sabbatical for Pastor Jeff Wood launches mural painting project at the Thrift Store next to First Presbyterian Church of Sebastian - Community... - June 3rd, 2022 [June 3rd, 2022]
- Activist artist Chris Wilson promotes awareness of solitary confinement with paintings - Gothamist - June 3rd, 2022 [June 3rd, 2022]
- This painting reflects the nearly forgotten fishing village on Jones Island - 88Nine Radio Milwaukee - June 3rd, 2022 [June 3rd, 2022]
- After Waiting Years for Cities to Act, People Are Painting Their Own Crosswalks - TheStranger.com - June 3rd, 2022 [June 3rd, 2022]
- Ilya Repin's chilling painting of Ivan the Terriblevandalised in 2018 by a drunk man with a metal polegoes back on show at Moscow's Tretyakov Gallery... - June 3rd, 2022 [June 3rd, 2022]
- Here Are the Last Paintings Vincent Van Gogh Completed During His Lifetime - My Modern Met - June 3rd, 2022 [June 3rd, 2022]
- Gallery in the Woods to show oil paintings of local musician Bobby DiTrani - Brattleboro Reformer - June 3rd, 2022 [June 3rd, 2022]
- Wish upon a painting: Norman artist explores desire and fear in her work - Norman Transcript - June 3rd, 2022 [June 3rd, 2022]
- Oil Painting - The Ultimate Guide For Beginners - Draw ... - April 6th, 2022 [April 6th, 2022]
- 60+ Easy Acrylic Painting Ideas For Beginners (Who Want To ... - April 6th, 2022 [April 6th, 2022]
- What Does This 17th-Century Painting Smell Like? - Smithsonian Magazine - April 6th, 2022 [April 6th, 2022]
- A Once-in-a-Lifetime Donatello Show Argues That Sculpture, Not Painting, Was the Ultimate Renaissance Art Form - artnet News - April 6th, 2022 [April 6th, 2022]
- Utah reveals custom hand-painted helmets to honor fallen teammates Ty Jordan and Aaron Lowe - CBS Sports - April 6th, 2022 [April 6th, 2022]
- This Mozambique-Born Artist Is Changing What It Means to Be a Painter - The Cut - April 6th, 2022 [April 6th, 2022]
- Phoenixville painting company is about more than just paint - Daily Local News - April 6th, 2022 [April 6th, 2022]
- Painting the town purple: Stripe is back on Blake Street ahead of Rockies home opener - 9News.com KUSA - April 6th, 2022 [April 6th, 2022]
- Two of Japans rising stars interview each other about family, creative expression, and the difference between painting and acting - ARTnews - April 6th, 2022 [April 6th, 2022]
- Sothebys to Offer Rare Guston Ab-Ex Painting - Barron's - April 6th, 2022 [April 6th, 2022]
- 5 fun wall painting ideas to refresh your home - NewsBytes - April 6th, 2022 [April 6th, 2022]
- A Contested Landscape Painting in Berlin Is Deemed an Authentic Rembrandt - ARTnews - April 6th, 2022 [April 6th, 2022]
- Daughter reunited with late father's painting from Chesterfield Inlet residential school - CBC.ca - April 6th, 2022 [April 6th, 2022]
- 14-year-old art sensation Xeo Chu: I kind of keep it hidden from friends - The Guardian - April 6th, 2022 [April 6th, 2022]
- The Chicago River Comes Alive in New Portrait Painted With Fishing Rod and Reel - WTTW News - April 6th, 2022 [April 6th, 2022]
- Art group spreads autism awareness by painting - WDVM 25 - April 6th, 2022 [April 6th, 2022]