The Shield of Achilles

Poetry | W. H. Auden
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What are the symbols that Auden used in his poem "The Shield of Achilles"? 

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What are the symbols that Auden used in his poem "The Shield of Achilles"? 

W. H. Auden’s (1907–1973) poem “The Shield of Achilles” (1955) is a modern interpretation of Homer’s story. Auden uses many symbols to show the contrast between the ancient heroic world and the modern world of war, cruelty, and emptiness.

The Shield - Symbol of the Modern World: In Homer’s Iliad, the shield of Achilles was full of beauty, peace, and life. But Auden’s shield is full of death and despair. The shield becomes a symbol of the modern age. Here, there is no love or joy. Thetis looks for “vines and olive trees,” but finds only “an artificial wilderness” and “a sky like lead.” The shield here stands for the world after wars: lifeless and mechanical.

The Artificial Wilderness - Symbol of Spiritual Emptiness: Auden shows a plain “without a feature, bare and brown.” It has no grass, no home, no hope. This empty land symbolizes the spiritual dryness of modern life.

The people in this land have,

“A million eyes, a million boots in line.” 

They wait for a sign, like machines, not humans. The “voice without a face” proves how human life has become controlled by systems and statistics.

The Crucifixion Scene - Symbol of Human Suffering: The next image shows, 

“Three pale figures... bound to three posts.” 

This is a symbol of suffering and injustice, like the crucifixion of Christ. But the crowd only watches silently. This symbol shows that people have lost pity, love, and moral feeling.

The Ragged Urchin - Symbol of Lost Innocence: A small boy throws a stone at a bird. He lives in a world where “girls are raped” and “two boys knife a third.” This urchin is a symbol of lost innocence in modern society. He has never seen kindness or beauty. Violence is normal to him.

Hephaestos and Thetis - Symbol of Art and Love: Hephaestos, the God who makes the shield, and Thetis, Achilles’ mother, are old symbols of art and love. But now both are helpless. Thetis “cried out in dismay” when she saw the shield. This symbol shows that even art and love have no power in the cruel modern world.

Through these symbols, the shield, wilderness, crucifixion, urchin, and gods, Auden shows the fall of humanity. The poem becomes a mirror of modern life, full of war, cruelty, and lost faith. The heroic spirit is dead, and the world is without hope.

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W. H. Auden
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from The Shield of Achilles