The Appearance of Achilles' Shield is a Mystery The appearance of Achilles' new shield is an ancient mystery, a wonderful topic of debate that has fascinated the imaginations of Homer's audiences from its first recital. 430-end. The environment is, as Auden describes, a "plain without a feature, bare and brown, / No blade of grass, no sign of neighborhood, / Nothing to eat and nowhere to sit down" (9-11). what occasion calls - The Academy of American Poets is the largest membership-based nonprofit organization fostering an appreciation for contemporary poetry and supporting American poets. A plain without a feature, bare and brown, Thetis, the mother of Achilles looks at the shield of Achilles that was hanging over his shoulder. The god Hephaestus creates a fighting shield of such detail and beauty, we forget in the description that we are hearing about a work of art and not actual life. The description of Achilles’ shield in the Iliad tells us much about what Homer’s views might have been on warfare and violence. The shield of Achilles plays a major part in the Iliad. The shield of Achilles. The shield is supernaturally strong, but it also contains a supernatural level of detail. The shield of Achilles is forged by Hephaestus in Book 18. The last section of Book XVIII describes the giant shield that Hephaistos, God of the Forge, made for Achilles. W. H. Auden’s “The Shield of Achilles” is a nine-stanza poem that uses an episode from Homer’s ancient Greek epic Iliad (c. 800 b.c.e. Here, in this pause before the final killings of the epic, Homer inserts a magnificent picture of the fullness of life and art. It portrays the story of the Achaeans and their fight against the Trojans in a microcosm of the larger story. The Iliad, Book XVIII, [The Shield of Achilles] - Thee, welcome, goddess! Shield of Achilles in the Iliad by Homer can deliver in a variety of different ways. Using many metals, Hephaestus creates a picture of the entire world, starting from the cosmos and working down to the everyday details of human experience. Written by Josho Brouwers on 27 July 2015 When Achilles gets a new shield in the Iliad , it’s described in minute detail in book 18, lines 478–608. The shield at once acts as an emblem of art and a historian, in that it reflects the civilization of a certain time. Achilles is the celebrated Greek warrior of the Trojan War. Homer structured the Iliad so that at any point he could discuss any subject he chose. ; Eng. Clearly relishing the interlude between Achilles' grief at the loss of his beloved comrade Patroklos and the re-entry of Achilles… The Shield of Achilles She looked over his shoulder For vines and olive trees, Marble well-governed c ities And ships upon untamed sea s, But there on the shining metal His hands had put instead An artific ial wilderness And a sky like lead. The world Auden describes in "The Shield of Achilles" is a horrific one, one bereft of inner meaning and whose only catalyst is the posturing of figures of authority. Forged by the god, Hephaestus, who was a crippled smith, it depicts the two cities and the happenings within, as well as Agamemnon's kingly… One understanding is that the shield is a representation of a microcosm of civilization, where all aspects of life are shown. The description of the shield is a digression justified by the fact that Hektor now has Achilles' armor.