The age of anxiety Essays - Benjamin Britten, W. H. Auden

The age of anxiety Essays - Benjamin Britten, W. H. Auden The age of anxiety Analysis of Auden's The Age of Anxiety In Auden's lengthy poem, "The Age of Anxiety", he follows the actions and thoughts of four characters who happen to meet in a bar during a war. Their interactions with one another lead them on an imaginary quest in their minds in which they attempt, without success, to discover themselves. The themes and ideas that Auden's "The Age of Anxiety" conveys reflect his belief that man's quest for self-actualization is in vain. W. H. Auden was born in York, England, in 1907, the third and youngest son of Constance and George Auden (Magill 72). His poetry in the 1930's reflected the world of his era, a world of depression, Fascism, and war. His works adopt a prose of a "clinical diagrostician [sic] anatomizing society" and interpret social and spiritual acts as failures of communication (Magill 74). They also put forth a diagnosis of the industrial English society among economic and moral decay in the 1930's (Magill 72). Conflicts common in his works are those between war and peace, corruption of modern society, and the "dichotomy between the rich and the poor" (Barrows 317). "The Age of Anxiety" is, in general, a quest poem. Unlike the ideal quest, however, this quest accomplishes nothing. The characters search for the meaning of self and, in essence, the meaning of life, but because their search is triggered by intoxication due to alchohol, the quest is doomed from the start. Throughout the quest, the characters believe themselves to be in a form of Purgatory when they are allegorically in Hell. They fail to realize this due to "the modern human condition which denies possibility but refuses to call it impossible" (Nelson 117). In "The Age of Anxiety", there are four characters of significance. Quant, the first to be introduced, addresses himself in a mirror, an action typical to a drunken man. He is an aging homosexual widower who finds refuge in the mirror because it offers him the easiest way of facing himself (Nelson 117-118). Malin, the most dominant character overall, is a medical intelligence officer on leave from the Canadian Air Force. His background labels him as the "would-be doctor and leader" in the world of "The Age of Anxiety". His name is reminiscent, in relation to the war, of a malingerer, and the composition of his personality hints at the evil within him (Nelson 118).

Tristan da Cunha

Tristan da Cunha Located about midway between Cape Town, South Africa and Buenos Aires, Argentina lies what is often referred to as the worlds most remote inhabited island - Tristan da Cunha. Tristan da Cunha is the primary island of the Tristan da Cunha island group, consisting of six islands at approximately 37Â °15 South, 12Â °30 West. Thats about 1,500 miles (2,400 kilometers) west of South Africa in the South Atlantic Ocean. The other five islands in the Tristan da Cunha group are uninhabited, save for a manned meteorological station on the southernmost island of Gough. In addition to Gough, located 230 miles SSE of Tristan da Cunha, the chain includes Inaccessible at 20 miles (32 km) WSW, Nightingale 12 miles (19 km) SE, and Middle and Stoltenhoff islands - both just off the coast of Nightingale. The total area for all six islands amounts to a mere 52 mi2 (135 km2). The Tristan da Cunha islands are administered as part of the United Kingdoms colony of Saint Helena (1180 miles or 1900 km to the north of Tristan da Cunha). The circular island of Tristan da Cunha is approximately 6 miles (10 km) wide with a total area of 38 mi2 (98 km2) and a coastline of 21 miles. The island group lies on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and was created by volcanic activity. Queen Marys Peak (6760 feet or 2060 meters) on Tristan da Cunha is an active volcano that last erupted in 1961, causing the evacuation of Tristan da Cunhas residents. Today, just under 300 people call Tristan da Cunha home. They live in the settlement known as Edinburgh that lies on the flat plain on the north side of the island. The settlement was named in honor of Prince Alfred, the Duke of Edinburgh, upon his visit to the island in 1867. Tristan da Cunha was named for Portuguese sailor Tristao da Cunha who discovered the islands in 1506 and although he was unable to land (the island of Tristan da Cunha is surrounded by 1000-2000 foot/300-600 meter cliffs), he named the islands after himself. The first inhabitant of Tristan da Cunha was American Jonathan Lambert of Salem, Massachusetts who arrived in 1810 and renamed the islands the Islands of Refreshment. Unfortunately, Lambert drowned in 1812. In 1816 the United Kingdom claimed and began to settle the islands. A handful of people were joined by the occasional shipwreck survivor over the next few decades and in 1856 the islands population was 71. However, the next year starvation caused many to flee leaving a population of 28 on Tristan da Cunha. The islands population fluctuated and eventually rose to 268 before the island was evacuated during the eruption of 1961. The evacuees went to England where some died due to the harsh winters and some women married British men. In 1963, almost all of the evacuees returned since the island was safe. However, having tasted the life of the United Kingdom, 35 left Tristan da Cunha for Europe in 1966. Since the 1960s, the population swelled to 296 in 1987. The 296 English-speaking residents of Tristan da Cunha share a mere seven surnames - most of the families have a history of being on the island since the early years of settlement. Today, Tristan da Cunha includes a school, hospital, post office, museum, and a crayfish canning factory. The issuance of postage stamps is a major source of revenue for the island. The self-supporting residents fish, raise livestock, make handicrafts, and grow potatoes. The island is visited annually by RMS St. Helena and more regularly by fishing vessels. There is no airport or landing field on the island. Species not found anywhere else in the world inhabit the island chain. Queen Marys Peak is shrouded by clouds most of the year and snow covers its peak in the winter. The island receives an average of 66 inches (1.67 meters) of rain each year.