Musée des Beaux Arts Symbolism, Imagery & Wordplay

No need for fancy language here. No, sir. Doesn't even matter that we're talking about the snootiest of all snooty subjects, art. In fact, kind of like us here at Shmoop, Auden seems to think that...

Even though Auden keeps his language pretty simple and straightforward, he does build up a fairly elaborate network of references and allusions – to places, people, and things happening behin...

There's a heap of references in "Musée des Beaux Arts" to folks who think big…and end badly. Like Icarus. And the martyrs. Here's what we mean:Line 9: See? We promised you martyrs. Notic...

Icarus is referenced throughout this poem, and since he does have a pretty amazing backstory, we thought we'd tell you a bit more about him. This guy goes all the way back to Greek myths…and...