The Shield of Achilles
Poetry
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W. H. Auden
The Shield of Achilles Key Info
Key Facts
Writer: W. H. Auden (1907–1973)
Original Title: The Shield of Achilles
Source: Published in Auden’s collection The Shield of Achilles (1955)
Written Time: Early 1950s
Published Date: 1952 (first in Poetry magazine, later in the 1955 collection)
Form: Narrative and descriptive poem (mixing classical and modern imagery)
Genre: Modernist Poetry / Mythological Allegory
Tone:...
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The Shield of Achilles Summary
Summary
Part 1: The Expectation of Thetis: The poem opens with Thetis, the mother of Achilles. She watches the god Hephaestus generate her son’s shield. She hopes to see beautiful and noble images like cities full of music, dancing, peace, and sacrifice. She dreams of a world ruled by justice and grace, filled with art, love, and harmony. But instead, the surface of the shield reflects nothing o...
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The Shield of Achilles Theme
Themes
War’s Modern Brutality vs. Classical Glory: The poem shows the contrast between ancient heroism and modern cruelty. War is no longer noble or brave. It is cold, mechanical, and joyless. The shield of Achilles, instead of showing beauty and bravery, displays empty plains, soldiers, and executions. Auden replaces the Homeric glory with the horrors of modern warfare. It shows how human lif...
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The Shield of Achilles Character
Characters
Thetis: She is Achilles’ mother, a sea goddess. She watches Hephaestus making the shield. She expects beauty, harmony, and heroic images. Instead, she sees scenes of war, pain, and emptiness. She represents love, care, and human disappointment.
Hephaestus: He is the god of fire and metalwork. He makes Achilles’ shield at Thetis’s request. His work shows the cruel modern world. He symbo...
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The Shield of Achilles Literary Device
Figures of Speech
Allusion: The whole poem is an allusion to Greek mythology, especially to Homer’s Iliad. Auden rewrites the scene where Thetis, mother of Achilles. It looks at the shield made by Hephaestus. Instead of the beautiful ancient world, she sees images of modern war and cruelty.
Imagery: The poem is rich in visual images like “vines and olive trees,” “a plain without a feature,” and “a...
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Notes
Explore 3 detailed notes related to The Shield of Achilles. Each note provides in-depth analysis, explanations, and critical insights.