How Art Inspires Art

A Comparative Analysis of W. H. Auden's 'Musée des Beaux Arts' and Dannie Abse's 'Bruegel in Naples'

Seminar Paper , 2010 , 20 Pages , Grade: 1,0

English Language and Literature Studies - Literature

Kunst kann unterschiedliche Erscheinungsformen annehmen. Sie kann durch Malerei ebenso ausgedrückt werden wie durch Poesie. Die Arbeit setzt sich zum Ziel, diese beiden Formen der Kunst miteinander zu verknüpfen. Grundlage dafür sind Pieter Bruegels Kunstwerk 'Landscape with the Fall of Icarus' sowie zwei Gedichte der britischen Lyriker W. H. Auden ('Musée des Beaux Arts') und Daniel Abse ('Bruegel in Naples'). Neben der Erarbeitung verbindender Aspekte zwischen den Gedichten und dem Gemälde werden beide Gedichte zudem komparatistisch analysiert.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Introduction
• The Myth of the Fall of Icarus
• Pieter Bruegel's 'Landscape with the Fall of Icarus'
• Analysis and Interpretation of the Poems
  • Formal Aspects of the Poem 'Musée des Beaux Arts'
  • Content and Interpretation
  • Formal Aspects of the Poem 'Bruegel in Naples'
  • Content and Interpretation
• Comparison of the Poems
• Conclusion

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This paper aims to analyze and compare two poems, "Musée des Beaux Arts" by W. H. Auden and "Bruegel in Naples" by Dannie Abse, which are both inspired by Pieter Bruegel's painting "Landscape with the Fall of Icarus." The paper will explore the formal aspects, content, and interpretations of both poems, focusing on how they reflect Bruegel's masterpiece from different perspectives.

• The influence of visual art on poetry
• The interpretation of the myth of Icarus
• The different perspectives of the poets on Bruegel's painting
• The role of individual suffering in society
• The impact of Bruegel's artistic style on the poems

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

• Introduction: This chapter introduces the concept of ekphrasis, highlighting how visual arts inspire poetry. It introduces Auden and Abse's poems and the painting that inspired them. It also outlines the paper's objective to analyze and compare the two poems.
• The Myth of the Fall of Icarus: This chapter explains the myth of Icarus as narrated by Ovid, emphasizing its themes of hubris, presumption, and lack of morality. It provides the historical context for Bruegel's painting and the poems.
• Pieter Bruegel's 'Landscape with the Fall of Icarus': This chapter provides an overview of Bruegel's painting, highlighting its realism, moralizing significance, and focus on the indifference of everyday life to individual suffering. It contrasts this perspective with Ovid's myth.
• Analysis and Interpretation of the Poems: This chapter will analyze the poems separately, examining their formal aspects, word choice, and content in relation to Bruegel's painting. It will focus on the specific interpretations each poet presents of the myth and the painting.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

This paper focuses on the themes of ekphrasis, visual art and poetry, the myth of Icarus, Pieter Bruegel's "Landscape with the Fall of Icarus," the poems of W. H. Auden and Dannie Abse, and the role of individual suffering in society. It explores how these elements interact and influence each other, leading to a deeper understanding of the artwork and the poets' responses to it.

• College: Warsaw University (Anglistik)
• Course: British Poetry of the 20th Century
• Grade: 1,0
• Author: Marta Kruzynski (Author)
• Publication Year: 2010
• Pages: 20
• Catalog Number: V174823
• ISBN (eBook): 9783640955114
• ISBN (Book): 9783640954810
• Language: English
• Tags: inspires, comparative, analysis, auden, musée, beaux, arts, dannie, abse, bruegel, naples