Sonnet. A sonnet is a fourteen-line poem that follows one of a number of different rhyme schemes. “Who’s Who,” like the Petrarchan sonnet, is divided into an octave (an eight-line stanza) and a sestet (a six-line stanza). As you read “Who’s Who,” consider how the poet uses the break between the octave and the sestet.
Irony. Irony is a difference between appearance and reality. The use of irony is characteristic of Auden’s work.
Theme. A theme is a central idea in a literary work. As you read "Musee des Beaux Arts," try to figure out its theme.
Allusion. An allusion is a rhetorical technique in which reference is made to a person, event, object, or work from history or literature.
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Most of the important themes of Auden’s times are represented in his poems. The sonnet “Who’s Who” reflects his interest in different verse forms as well as his ironic view of worldly fame. Visual arts and music have often inspired modern poets. “Musée des Beaux Arts” is a reflection on the sixteenth-century Flemish painting “The Fall of Icarus,” by Pieter Brueghel, which is in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts in Brussels, Belgium. In Greek mythology, Icarus and his father, the architect Daedalus, tried to escape from prison by flying with wings made of wax and feathers. Ignoring his father’s warning, Icarus flew too near the sun, which melted his wings, sending him plunging into the sea. Auden uses the poem to comment on suffering and its place in human life.
As you read, make a cluster chart listing parts of the poem that are ironic. One example has been done for your.
As you read “Musée des Beaux Arts,” make a chart listing the allusions and identify them as historic, artistic, or literary.
If someone were to write your biography in just a few lines, what would you like those lines to include?
Write about a time when you suffered. Were others aware of your pain
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