About suffering they were
never wrong,
The Old Masters: how well they understood
Its human position; how it takes place
While someone else is eating or opening a window or just walking dully along;
W. H. Auden, “Musée des Beaux Arts”
The Old Masters: how well they understood
Its human position; how it takes place
While someone else is eating or opening a window or just walking dully along;
W. H. Auden, “Musée des Beaux Arts”
Task:
substitute another general term for suffering in
the first line (e.g. laziness, happiness…). Now rewrite the fourth line with details
about the opposite condition of your term.
Share your new stanza on the blog and comment on one other stanza. Due by Friday, November 27th.
About knowledge they were never wrong,
ReplyDeleteThe Old Masters; how well they understood
Its human position; how it takes place
While someone else is playing or dancing or ignoring or just not caring;
First of all, I like the fact that you chose the word "knowledge" because I totally agree with you. The Old Masters (who are the painters in this poem) know a lot because they are forced to inform themselves if they want to paint about real event of the present or the past. Furthermore, "the old masters" convey the idea of old people and, in my opinion, knowledge is something you gain with time. That's why I think it perfectly fits for that part of the poem. Nevertheless I think your rewriting of the fourth line is a quite pessimistic view of knowledge because dancing can be part of someone culture and therefore of his knowledge. However, I agree with you when you wrote "not caring" and "ignoring" because I am not sure it can bring any knowledge.
DeleteAbout loneliness they were never wrong,
ReplyDeleteThe Old Masters : how well they understood
Its human position ; how it takes place
While others are kissing or laughing or just hoping they won't be late for their date
When I read the word "loneliness", I did not guess that it was a sort of "love loneliness". It overcomes our expectations ! Moreover, while reading it, I could really imagine a motionless person standing in the middle of a public garden and watching lovers on a bench or a man running with a huge bouquet of red rose; and feeling lonely. I also enjoyed the fact that the actions of "others" are less and less concrete. Indeed the action of "kissing" is physical whereas "hoping" is really mental. The loneliness of the character is nearly becomming envy. To conclude, this stenza is really well-done as we really get into the persons mind. What a nice stanza !!!
DeleteI really like your re-writing: the feeling of loneliness is indeed reinforced by the association with warm, tender, actions that tend to involve several people in the same action (plurality vs one single person). The words you chose are exact opposites, which successfuly conveys the idea of two different words, or at least two different sensations, existing in parallel without ever coming across each other. We almost blame the ones who are kissing, laughing, or going on a date, for they seem to ignore that pain even exists. Their actions seem almost too light, too joyful, too full of love, and ridiculously out of place compared to the suffering of loneliness. A certain jealousy can even be felt towards the ones who are happily living their lives. Two different perspectives, different sensations, are opposed here; in a really poetic way.
DeleteAbout envy they were never wrong,
ReplyDeleteThe Old Masters : how well they understood
Its human position ; how it takes place
While others are getting addicted or buying or eating.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAbout love they were never wrong,
ReplyDeleteThe Old Masters: how well they understood
Its human position; how it takes place
While people are enjoying life, or doing things for themselves or just not being deceived the same way.
I find interesting how you opposed love with "enjoying life". In fact at first it is quite intriguing because to common knowledge love is associated with the relishing of life to its best. However here you manage to introducce the idea that love can also be a weight that sometimes holds us back from enjoying life as much as we wish to. Here you present it as an attachment that takes away part of the freedom we are given since it binds us strongly to somebody else and therefore makes us dependent on them. Through your use of "doing things for themselves" you definitely convey the idea that love, as it makes us dependent on someone, is, to a certain extent, a selfless feeling as the lover is so fond of the other, his/her life seems to revolve around him/her. Finally your remind the reader that love can be a treacherous feeling that sometimes leads to deceit, making the lover wished never to feel the same ever again. As a whole your stanza is very effective bringing out before the reader the two-faced and misleading nature of love.
DeleteAbout illness, they were never wrong,
ReplyDeleteThe Old Masters: how well they understood
Its human position; how it takes place
While someone else is laughing or hugging a friend or just humming a popular song;
The fact that you chose a word that wasn't a feeling -such as suffering or hoping or being in despair- is very interesting and opens this stanza to a lot of different meanings and expectations. Moreover, in the 4th line, the terms you used really stick with your subject, but there is a kind of opposition with illness (something you can't predict, physical). Indeed, all thses words are a sort of metaphor for happiness and carelessness because everything is ok. So they really emphasize the meaning of illness.
DeleteAbout opposition, they were never wrong,
ReplyDeleteThe Old Masters: how well they understood
Its human position; how it takes place
While people are nodding, or approving, or just walking indifferently along.
I think the details in your forth line are effectively opposed to the term in the first line. Indeed « nodding » and « approving » are obviously the perfect antonyms of « opposition » for the people giving their personal opinion about a particular idea. I like the nuance you made at the end as there is a slight difference between those two words and your final idea « walking indifferently along ». If at first we have the total contrast between « opposition » and approval, here, a third alternative is given. It reminded me that indifference must not forgotten in the matter of opinion as a lack of interest in something or someone is worth consideration too in life or in the tone of a narrotor, in a poem…
DeleteAbout hope they were never wrong,
ReplyDeleteThe Old Masters : how well they understood
Its human position ; how it takes place
While someone else is moaning or drowning in despair or just weakly surrendering
I really like the word that you chose. I think it is quite unexpected because hope is something that you usually cannot control. You often get your hopes up even though you know you shouldn't. However here, it is said that "they understood/ Its human position ; how it takes place" while other people haven't. This makes them seem wiser than most people and we feel impressed by them because they seem to have mastered it, they have mastered hope better than anyone else. I think you made a great choice of words and expressions in the fourth line because they do oppose the condition in the first line however I am not sure about the word "moaning" as it is a word that can be interpreted in different ways and in my opinion you can moan and still have hope.
DeleteI think the word 'hope' is quite appropriate in this kind of poetry. Plus, you used the right words to oppose this term such as 'moaning', 'drowning' ou 'surrendering'. Indeed, they all have a deeper connotation: in 'drowning', you have the image of water, and in 'surrendering' the image of a battle. However, you could have respected the rhyme with the first verse in 'ong' as Auden did. Otherwise, your work on detail is very good. :)
DeleteAbout death they were never wrong,
ReplyDeleteThe Old Masters : how well they understood
Its human position ; how it takes place
While someone else is playing with friends or sleeping or just celebrating the born of a long-awaited child.
*the birth of a long-awaited child
DeleteI think that replacing suffering by death is very effective. It shows that death is completely unpredictable and that life can end at any moment. Moreover, I think that the words that you have chosen in the fourth line are also very appropriate. Birth represents the beginning of life which is completely opposed to death. Moreover, The person playing is linked to joy and liveliness which contrasts with the sorrow linked to death.
DeleteFinally, the person sleeping is very interesting. It can have a positive, soothing connotation to it, but we could also link it to death (similar attitude…). This could bring out the fact that death is inevitable.
About rejection they were never wrong,
ReplyDeleteThe Old Masters : how well they understood
Its human position ; how it takes place
While someone is being welcomed or admired or just simply let in.
I thought your use of rejection was very good, and in well with the rest of the stanza. The old masters - so the old painters - will have known rejection inside out, most painters do. It is too easy for an artist's work to be rejected. For example, in "L'Oeuvre" by Zola, we get a thorough vision of rejected painters and their constant need to be accepted.
DeleteYou also managed well to contrast rejection with welcome, admired and let in. The adverb "simple" reinforces their easy nature and therefore shows a clear opposition with rejection.
I like the fact that you chose "rejection" which also has a powerful meaning as "suffering". It is interesting to use this word because I think that it holds an important part in our life and as "suffering" we do not talk about it often. The contrast you created with the words you have chosen in the fourth line is very effective. When I read this last line it almost sounds like a crescendo and we can see the different forms of welcoming that are opposed to rejection. It can go from being accepted to being worship. You successfully managed to show how rejection takes place in somebody's life and what exist in contrast to this abandonment or lack of acceptance.
DeleteAbout trust they were never wrong,
ReplyDeleteThe Old Masters: how well they understood
Its human position; how it takes place
While someone else is doubting or uncertain about someone or just questioning everything they have ever been told;
This is a great re-writing, Charlotte! I find trust to be essential, and I think you've explored the opposite quite well. I wonder who this other "someone" is questioning, if it is pure paranoia or if someone truly lost their trust by lying? It's quite global and doesn't just apply to one particular type of situation. Loved it, Charlotte :) xoxo
DeleteI really like it as well, as it could make the Old Masters kind of the ones manipulating people, or they could be people who never put themselves into question so this is a very well made opposition to these people !
DeleteYou explored the opposite quite well, giving more than one sense to your rewriting of the paragraph, and the "uncertain about someone" makes us think of love relationships which connects to a more personal issue, but also one rather well known by everyone, therefore implicating yourself and your reader more into this rewriting !
Well done, and have a nice weekend !
About forgiveness they were never wrong,
ReplyDeleteThe Old Masters; how well they understood
Its human position; how it takes place
While someone else is holding a grudge against his lover or living in anger and resent, thinking they're not wrong;
I like the fact that your work has an universal feel to it : first, it isn't complexified into elaborate words and we directly get the meaning. Then, you added detail by specifying for instance towards whom the resentment is directed or what kind of emotions come and tarnish the life the characters lead : we immediately relate to what you wrote.
DeleteAbout greed they were never wrong,
ReplyDeleteThe Old Masters; how well they understood
Its human position; how it takes place
While someone else is offering help, showing generosity or just caring on one's neighbour;
I found your choice of word very interesting because I believe that it sort of sums up our individualist society. The contrast you created is very effective. Indeed there is a clear opposition between ther vey self concerned aspect of the word" greed" and the generous and very altruistic qualities that are conveyed by the fourth line. The word " offering " is also very interesting since it induces the idea that the person didn't ask for any help but that somebody else saw that he or she was in need so help was offered.
DeleteAbout satisfaction they were never wrong,
ReplyDeleteThe Old Masters; how well they understood
Its human position; how it takes place
While someone else is waiting for Santa Claus, desperately hoping for better days or just trying to fulfill one desire after another;
Your version of this passage deals with 2 strong feelings that are gone through very often in one's life: satisfaction and frustration. Thus, the reader can easily relate to your passage and understand the clear opposition between the first line and the final ones. To be honest (don't know if you did it on purpose), this reminds me of our philosophy lesson about "desire" and here, I can see the cyclical aspect of these feelings, consisting of waiting for something we want to happen, living it through, and then, wanting for something else. The allusion to Christmas in addition to the use of "better days" and "desire" give, however, a positive impression that there is a way of achieving the satisfaction. Indeed, I feel it is reachable and not a lost cause. Therefore, you succeed in changing the tone Auden applied to the opening of the poem, making it evolve from heavy-hearted or sorrowful to hopeful even though "trying" brings the reader back to reality and makes him/her remember that meeting a desire is not always as easy as we wish it were.
DeleteAbout growing up they were never wrong,
ReplyDeleteThe Old Masters: how well they understood
Its human position; how it takes place
While some are stagnating, imprisoned in their childish games, or simply just growing old.
The main thing which jumped out at me in your substitution was the opposition between 'growing up' and 'growing old'. I think the fact that you decided to use this opposition is very interesting, as it is easy to relate the idea of being old with being tired, weary or disillusioned. Therefore this in turn creates the idea of part of 'growing up' being to enjoy oneself and one's youth as opposed to simply concentrating on 'growing old'. I also like the idea of people being 'imprisoned' in childish games, as in certain circumstances I feel that people's 'childish games' could be a sort of defence mechanism against growing up, and against change, so I feel that you captured that idea quite well.
DeleteAbout courage they were never wrong,
ReplyDeleteThe Old Masters: how well they understood
Its human position; how it takes place
While everyone else is washed over by panic, banishing their hopes and joy, believing every horror being spread, or just letting go into fear because confronting is much easier said than done.
About reflecting they were never wrong,
ReplyDeleteThe Old Masters: how well they understood
Its human position; how it takes place
While someone else is stirring or regretting the past or just living a life.
About sadness they were never wrong,
ReplyDeleteThe old Masters: how well they understood
Its human position; how it takes place
While someone else is smiling or laughing or just sharing a joke with a friend.
I like the contrast between the word you choose "sadness" and the expressions you choose to use in the last line. I think smiling is the first and simplest expression of hapiness and it's also the most natural and sincere one I think. I like the idea that this simple action is coupled with sadness which englobes a lot of "meanings"( there are lots of causes and forms to sadness). I think "laughing " comes with it, it's an everyday life action typically symbolic of our moments of simple happiness. The share of joke has the same meaning I guess. You confronted sadness which is also a very "common" feeling of life (we often feel "sad") to the simplest ways of expressing our everyday life moments of joy which I find very effective to prove that nothing is never the same everywhere, and that things ( our feelings) can change very fast...
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ReplyDeleteAbout confusion they were never wrong
ReplyDeleteThe old Masters: how well they understood
Its human position; how it takes place
While someone else is decisive, resolving an inquisition, or just crossing straight the pavement.
About moral hey were never wrong
ReplyDeleteThe old Masters: how well they understood
Its human position; how it takes place
While someone else is being dishonest or sinning, or just enjoying the pleasures of human life.
I found your rewriting interesting in the oppositions you made because of all the questions and points raised by it.
DeleteThe first one is: is “pleasures of life” always contradictory with moral? Putting it at last, just after the “just” makes it so innocent, it is difficult to reproach it.
Then “sinning” that can be seen as going against a set of rule (whatever the origin we may give to it) gives an idea of humanity to moral, a characteristic of man (can animals sin?), implemented by him.
Then opposing moral and dishonesty tends to make of honesty and truth a moral duty. The question of a right to lie is an important one that I liked to see here.
Congratulations for your rewriting full of underlying content.
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI think you mean morality
DeleteAbout reflecting they were never wrong,
ReplyDeleteThe Old Masters: how well they understood
Its human position; how it takes place
While someone else is stirring or regretting the past or just living a life.
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI like the fact that your last line seems to be going crescendo. Indeed you start off with "stirring", which shows that something is slowly starting to build up inside. In the next part of your sentence you use the word regret which has a stronger and perhaps more negative connotation than stir. Finally the last part of your sentence contrasts with the rest because it is axed towards the future, in opposition to the regretted past, and gives us hope.
DeleteAbout heroism they were never wrong,
ReplyDeleteThe Old Masters: how well they understood
Its human position; how it takes place
While someone else is afraid or cowering or just oblivious to others;
About ignorance they were never wrong,
ReplyDeleteThe Old Masters; how well they understood
Its human position; how it takes place
While someone else is reading or writing or simply fighting for a good cause;
About infatuation they were never wrong,
ReplyDeleteThe Old Masters: how well they understood
Its human position; how it takes place
While someone else is walking emotionless or suppressing their feelings or simply able to sleep at night;
About truth they were never wrong,
ReplyDeleteThe Old Masters: how well they understood
Its human position; how it takes place
While someone else is blinding themselves with fear of knowledge or just following false light in ignorance;
"About loss they were never wrong,
ReplyDeleteThe Old Masters: how well they understood
Its human position; how it takes place
While someone else is smiling or laughing or just leading the life of happiness you once had and still deserve"
About negativity they were never wrong,
ReplyDeleteThe Old Masters: how well they understood
Its human position; how it takes place
While someone else is doing their best or seeing life through pink glasses