Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"The Theatre at Argos" is a sonnet by Oscar Wilde, filled with rich imagery and deep nostalgia for the past. Sonnets traditionally consist of 14 lines, and this poem follows that structure. The rhyme scheme doesn't follow the traditional Shakespearean or Petrarchan patterns.

The poem describes the dilapidated state of a theater in the ancient city of Argos, Greece. The theater is in ruins, overtaken by nettles and poppies, an indication of the decline of classical Greek civilization and culture. Wilde emphasizes the stark contrast between the glory of the past, when the theater was a place for poets, performances, and chorus dances, and the desolation of the present.

Wilde brings in elements of Greek mythology, referencing Danae, a princess of Argos who was imprisoned by her father in a chamber of bronze (or a cave, in some versions), and eventually visited by Zeus in a shower of gold. He uses these images to further underscore the great cultural heritage of Argos and its current degradation.

The second half of the sonnet shifts to a moralistic tone. It suggests that it's not the right time to mourn the days of old, considering the present is overwhelmed by societal ills. The "peoples clamour at our gate" implies the pressing issues of the current world. The concluding line "And God Himself is half-dethroned for Gold!" is a critique on the growing materialism, suggesting that society values wealth over spirituality or moral values, thereby 'dethroning' God.

Wilde, thus, skillfully contrasts the glorious cultural past with a corrupted present, using the motif of a ruined theater as a symbol for the fall from grace.