Shield of Achilles

The Shield of Achilles
W.H.Auden

1. Central Feeling/Themes
A Juxtaposition between the cultured and civilized world and the corrupt and oppressed world
War
A Lack of freedom and independence
Drawing the line between reality and the image one chooses to see
The irony of what something that looks marvelous (what Thetis sees) is actually disastrous (what Hephaestos portrays on the shield)

2.What happens
- Thetis goes to Hephaestos to create a shield for her invincible, "iron-hearted", "man-slaying" son, Achilles.
- She expects to see prosperous "well-governed" cities, but she sees a lack of freedom and an artificial sense of wilderness.
- There is a place, which is "bare and brown", with no sense of life on which where many people who lacked the ability to think for themselves, had gathered to listen to the orders of a "voice without a face"
- She expects to see a celebration, a ritual complete with libation an d a sacrifice, but instead, on the altar she watched as three prisoners, bound and gagged were to be publicly executed.
- An accepted and silent sight, the prisoners had given up much before they died. They didn't expect help and they didn't get it.
- She sees a young men and women, growing, enjoying themselves and dancing, but they had no dance floor, no nurture, no support, only an uncared for "weed-choked field"
- A homeless man takes rape and betrayal for granted and can't imagine a life with love, compassion and friendship
- Thetis sees all this and is dismayed. As the epitome of motherly love and nurture, she cannot accept the shield which portrays the reality and shows the truth about her "iron-hearted, man-slaying" son who has bound to "not live long"

3.Images/Metaphors
1. The first image is that of the well-governed city. At first the city looks prosperous (the abundance of vines and olive trees) and "well-governed" (spic and span marble buildings). Ships sail on "untamed seas" -- the quest for knowledge. The word "untamed" also refers to unconquered land. This image is complete with "artificial wilderness" and "sky like lead". The wild growth is artificial, not natural, controlled and created by man. The sky is smothering, heavy, not open, bound and limited. Its like one has freedom...but that freedom is controlled.

2. The second image is an extension of the first. It represents a war scenario. The setting is uninhabited, "bare and brown" and there are no signs of life. No one is celebrating or enjoying anything or getting any leisure time. And on this setting, rows and rows ("multitudes") of of men stand. They lack the power to think and like the setting, they too are absolutely lifeless. They are only trained to listen to the commands of a faceless voice whose mood reflects the environment. Without any response, they follow this command.

3. The third image is when she views a ceremony complete with libation and a sacrifice. But, in the place of the altar where the sacrifice was to be made, there was instead the image of three prisoners of war. This sight was so like usual that the officials seemed bored. "ordinary, decent folk" were gathered around the site. Such a gory sight was such a regular phenomenon that the "ordinary, decent folk" were not repulsed by it anymore. They had no say in the event and didn't seem to care much anymore. The prisoners were lost and had given up all hope. They had nothing to live for anymore and their pride, self-respect, hope and everything else that made them what they were had died and they were just waiting for their bodies to die.

4. The next image is of youthful men and women enjoying their life. They compete in sports and dance, essentially doing things that are usually considered normal for people of their age. But, instead of a dance floor, they were dancing on a "weed-choked field". Such a field depicts an uncared for image. Despite the happy images, there is no nurture and care for these youngsters. They are utterly neglected and there is absolutely no base for their enjoyment.

5. This image shows a worn out and homeless beggar. He has no point in life and wanders aimlessly around. He is cruel to birds because he doesn't understand kindness when none was shown to him. To him, even the brutal incidents of girls being raped and two men killing a third were acceptable and norms of life. He was a stranger to selflessness, unbroken promises, friendship, compassion, love and kindness. That was what the society had taught him

6. The poem ends with the image of a thoroughly unhappy Hephaestos with his pessimistic view of life who himself has had a fair share of unfairness, hobbling away to the dismayed screams of Thetis (she is the symbol of motherhood, nurture and love) who wanting to please her son, had requested to create the shield which such horrendous images on it. For all her efforts, the "iron-hearted, man-slaying Achilles" wouldn't live very long.