A sonnet is a fourteen-line poem that follows one of a number of rhyme schemes. The Petrarchan sonnet is divided into two parts, the octave and the sestet. The subject may switch from octave to sestet. Keep this organization in mind as you read the poem and examine the theme.
During Reading
Use the Organization of a Sonnet
1. Listen as your teacher reads the first four lines of the sonnet aloud. What is the subject of these lines? Write the subject in your notebook.
2. Continue reading the selection on your own. As you read lines 5–8, write a note about what you learn about the subject. As you read lines 9–11 write a note about the shift in subject. As you read lines 12–14, write a note about the continuation of the subject of the first three lines.
Fix-Up Idea: Use Guided Reading Questions
The Guided Reading Questions in this selection highlight two important aspects of a person's life. Write each question and an answer in your notebook. Then think about what the answers tell you about the person.
After Reading
Summarize What You Read
With a partner, compare the notes you made as you read. Then answer the following questions: What do you know about the subject of the poem? What is the second person in the poem like?
"Musee des Beaux Arts"
Before Reading
Preview Organizational Features
Carefully examine the painting on page 949 of your textbook. Do a quickwrite about what you see and what you imagine is happening. Auden alludes to this painting in "Musée des Beaux Arts." As you read, you may wish to refer back to your notes about the painting or to the painting itself.
During Reading
Use Text Organization as You Read
1. Listen as your teacher reads the first thirteen lines of the poem aloud. What were the Old Masters never wrong about? What examples does Auden give to support his point?
2. Continue reading the selection on your own. Lines 14–22 focus on Brueghel's Landscape with the Fall of Icarus. What does Auden say about the scene? Does this match what you noticed or imagined about the painting?
Fix-Up Idea: Reread
If you have trouble understanding the poem, try rereading it sentence by sentence. Pause after each sentence and paraphrase what you have read. Read through all of your paraphrases. Then reread the poem as a whole.
After Reading
Summarize Your Reading Experience
With a partner, identify Auden's theme and explain how his description of Brueghel's Landscape with the Fall of Icarus supports his theme.