The Sea and the Mirror
Encyclopedia
The Sea and the Mirror: A Commentary on Shakespeare's The Tempest, is a long poem by W. H. Auden
, written 1942-44, and first published in 1944.
The poem is a series of dramatic monologue
s spoken by the characters in Shakespeare's play after the end of the play itself.
The poem begins with a "Preface" ("The Stage Manager to the Critics"), followed by Part I, "Prospero to Ariel"; Part II, "The Supporting Cast, Sotto Voce, spoken by individual characters in the play, each followed by a brief comment by the character of Antonio; and Part III, Caliban to the Audience, spoken by Caliban in a prose style modelled on that of the later work of Henry James
. An "Epilogue" ("Ariel to Caliban, Echo by the Prompter") closes the work.
The poem is dedicated to Auden's friends James
and Tania Stern.
It was first published in 1944 together with Auden's long poem "For the Time Being
" in a book also titled For the Time Being.
A critical edition with introduction and notes by Arthur Kirsch was published in 2003.
. In it, Auden reflects on the nature of the relationship of the author (presumably Shakespeare) to the audience of The Tempest
, the paradoxes of portraying life in art, and the tension of form and freedom.
The poem itself is in three parts with a short introduction, where the "so good, so great, so dead author" is asked to take a curtain call
, and being unable to do so, Caliban stands in his place to take the questions.
The first section is a meditation on the dramatic arts, in various personifications, the Muse for the dramatic arts, Caliban as the Real World, and Ariel as the Poetic world.
The second section is an address to Shakespeare on behalf of his characters, reflecting on the "Journey of Life" -- " the down-at-heels disillusioned figure" and the desire for either personal or artistic freedom, with the disastrous results if either is attained.
The third section is a meditation on the paradox of life and art, with mutually exclusive goals, where the closer to Art you come, the farther from Life you go, and vice versa. The section ends with a coda
of sorts, with the paradox is resolved through faith in "the Wholly Other Life".
W. H. Auden
Wystan Hugh Auden , who published as W. H. Auden, was an Anglo-American poet,The first definition of "Anglo-American" in the OED is: "Of, belonging to, or involving both England and America." See also the definition "English in origin or birth, American by settlement or citizenship" in See also...
, written 1942-44, and first published in 1944.
The poem is a series of dramatic monologue
Dramatic monologue
M. H. Abrams notes the following three features of the dramatic monologue as it applies to poetry:-Types of monologues:One of the most important influences on the development of the dramatic monologue is the Romantic poets...
s spoken by the characters in Shakespeare's play after the end of the play itself.
The poem begins with a "Preface" ("The Stage Manager to the Critics"), followed by Part I, "Prospero to Ariel"; Part II, "The Supporting Cast, Sotto Voce, spoken by individual characters in the play, each followed by a brief comment by the character of Antonio; and Part III, Caliban to the Audience, spoken by Caliban in a prose style modelled on that of the later work of Henry James
Henry James
Henry James, OM was an American-born writer, regarded as one of the key figures of 19th-century literary realism. He was the son of Henry James, Sr., a clergyman, and the brother of philosopher and psychologist William James and diarist Alice James....
. An "Epilogue" ("Ariel to Caliban, Echo by the Prompter") closes the work.
The poem is dedicated to Auden's friends James
James Stern
James Stern Anglo-Irish writer of short stories and non-fiction.The son of a British cavalry officer of Jewish descent and an Anglo-Irish Protestant mother, Stern was born in County Meath, Ireland. After working in Southern Rhodesia as a young man, he worked for his family's bank in London and...
and Tania Stern.
It was first published in 1944 together with Auden's long poem "For the Time Being
For the Time Being
For the Time Being: A Christmas Oratorio, is a long poem by W. H. Auden, written 1941-42, and first published in 1944. It was one of two long poems included in Auden's book also titled For the Time Being, published in 1944; the other poem included in the book was "The Sea and the Mirror".The poem...
" in a book also titled For the Time Being.
A critical edition with introduction and notes by Arthur Kirsch was published in 2003.
Part III "Caliban to the Audience"
Caliban to the Audience, the longest section by far of the work, is a prose poem in the style of Henry JamesHenry James
Henry James, OM was an American-born writer, regarded as one of the key figures of 19th-century literary realism. He was the son of Henry James, Sr., a clergyman, and the brother of philosopher and psychologist William James and diarist Alice James....
. In it, Auden reflects on the nature of the relationship of the author (presumably Shakespeare) to the audience of The Tempest
The Tempest
The Tempest is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1610–11, and thought by many critics to be the last play that Shakespeare wrote alone. It is set on a remote island, where Prospero, the exiled Duke of Milan, plots to restore his daughter Miranda to her rightful place,...
, the paradoxes of portraying life in art, and the tension of form and freedom.
The poem itself is in three parts with a short introduction, where the "so good, so great, so dead author" is asked to take a curtain call
Curtain call
A curtain call occurs at the end of a performance when individuals return to the stage to be recognized by the audience for their performance. In musical theater, the performers typically recognize the orchestra and its conductor at the end of the curtain call...
, and being unable to do so, Caliban stands in his place to take the questions.
The first section is a meditation on the dramatic arts, in various personifications, the Muse for the dramatic arts, Caliban as the Real World, and Ariel as the Poetic world.
The second section is an address to Shakespeare on behalf of his characters, reflecting on the "Journey of Life" -- " the down-at-heels disillusioned figure" and the desire for either personal or artistic freedom, with the disastrous results if either is attained.
The third section is a meditation on the paradox of life and art, with mutually exclusive goals, where the closer to Art you come, the farther from Life you go, and vice versa. The section ends with a coda
Epilogue
An epilogue, epilog or afterword is a piece of writing at the end of a work of literature or drama, usually used to bring closure to the work...
of sorts, with the paradox is resolved through faith in "the Wholly Other Life".