Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Athanasia" is a poem by Oscar Wilde, an Irish writer and poet who was one of the most popular playwrights in London in the late 19th century. The poem was published as part of Wilde's collection "Poems" in 1881. This was Wilde's first published volume of poetry, which he released after graduating from Oxford University.

Wilde was known for his biting wit, flamboyant style, and controversial opinions. Although primarily known for his plays, Wilde also produced significant work in the field of poetry.

"Athanasia" is a contemplative and elegiac poem, meditating on the concepts of beauty, mortality, and timelessness.

Title: The title "Athanasia" comes from the Greek word "athanasia", which means "immortality". This reflects the poem's central themes of eternal beauty and the endurance of art over time.

Egyptian Imagery: The poem opens with the image of an ancient Egyptian mummy being brought to a museum ("that gaunt House of Art"), symbolizing the enduring power of art and beauty. The mummy's hand holds a seed that blooms into a magnificent, irresistible flower once planted in English soil, symbolizing the way ancient art continues to inspire and influence the present.

Nature and Art: The poem beautifully intertwines images of nature (flowers, birds, seasons) with references to art and myth, suggesting a kind of transcendental beauty that links natural and human-made aesthetics.

Time and Mortality: While humans are subject to time and mortality, the poem suggests that art transcends these boundaries. The flower in the poem is unaffected by the passing of time, just as the beauty captured in art remains vibrant despite the centuries.

Structure:

Rhyme Scheme: The poem follows a consistent ABABBCDEED rhyme scheme. This pattern brings a musicality to the piece and serves to tie each stanza together into a coherent whole.

Meter: While not strictly metrical throughout, much of the poem is written in iambic pentameter. This is a meter that consists of five metrical feet per line, each foot being made up of two syllables: an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable (as in the word "behold"). Iambic pentameter is often associated with Shakespeare and other writers of the Elizabethan era, so its use here gives the poem a traditional, timeless quality.

Imagery and Symbolism: The poem is rich in vivid, sensuous imagery and symbolism. Wilde uses the mummy and the flower as central symbols, intertwining them with various natural and mythological references. These serve to structure the poem into an exploration of the themes of beauty, mortality, and immortality.

Narrative Structure: The poem tells a story, moving from the discovery of the mummy and the planting of the seed, through the blooming of the flower and its effects on nature, to reflections on mortality and the enduring power of art. This narrative structure gives the poem a sense of progression and development.

"Athanasia" is a notable example of Wilde's more serious, contemplative poetic works, contrasting with his more well-known witty plays and social satires. Its themes of timeless beauty and the enduring power of art reflect Wilde's belief in aestheticism, the philosophical movement that advocates for art's independence from moral or political messages.

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