Question

question 19 of 20

read these lines from \musée des beaux arts\ by w. h. auden.

... the expensive delicate ship that must have seen
something amazing, a boy falling out of the sky,
had somewhere to get to and sailed calmly on.

how might these lines advance the poems meaning?

a. as people move toward their goals, they must go calmly like the ship.
b. like the ship, people go on living their lives in times of suffering.
c. it doesnt help to get excited in times of suffering.
d. suffering and going somewhere are both done calmly.

Explanation:

Analyze the poem's context

Using the Poetry Analysis knowledge point, we examine the lines from W. H. Auden's "Musée des Beaux Arts." The poem is an ekphrastic piece reflecting on Pieter Bruegel's painting Landscape with the Fall of Icarus. The lines describe a ship that "must have seen / Something amazing, a boy falling out of the sky," yet it "Had somewhere to get to and sailed calmly on."

Interpret the thematic meaning

Using the Thematic Interpretation knowledge point, we analyze how these lines advance the overall meaning of the poem. The central theme of "Musée des Beaux Arts" is the human response to suffering and tragedy. Auden observes that while monumental, tragic events occur (like Icarus falling from the sky), the rest of the world continues its mundane, everyday routines. The ship represents the surrounding world, which witnesses the tragedy but continues on its course because life goes on regardless of individual suffering.

Evaluate the answer choices

• A suggests people must go calmly toward goals like the ship. This misinterprets the descriptive imagery as a moral instruction.
• B states that like the ship, people go on living their lives in times of suffering. This directly aligns with Auden's theme of indifference and the continuation of ordinary life amidst tragedy.
• C suggests it doesn't help to get excited in times of suffering, which is a mischaracterization of the poem's tone.
• D states suffering and going somewhere are both done calmly, which misses the contrast between the tragedy of the fall and the indifference of the ship.

Answer:

• (A) As people move toward their goals, they must go calmly like the ship.
• (B) Like the ship, people go on living their lives in times of suffering. (Correct answer)
• (C) It doesn't help to get excited in times of suffering.
• (D) Suffering and going somewhere are both done calmly.