Poem Analysis - Journey To Iceland

A Journey of Disillusionment: Introduction to Auden's Iceland

W.H. Auden's "Journey to Iceland" presents a complex and somewhat cynical view of travel and escape. The poem initially promises a potential for renewal and discovery in a remote landscape, but quickly shifts towards a more critical examination of human nature and the impossibility of truly escaping oneself. The overall tone oscillates between hopeful anticipation and weary resignation, ultimately suggesting that even the most geographically distant locations cannot provide solace from internal struggles. It's a journey not just to a place, but into the self, revealing inherent flaws and inescapable realities.

Europe's Shadow: A Continent Left Behind

While not explicitly historical, the poem subtly critiques the state of Europe, implying a desire to escape its societal ills and emotional burdens. The line "For Europe is absent. This is an island and therefore Unreal," suggests a yearning to detach from the complexities and disappointments associated with the continent. Iceland, then, becomes a symbolic space for a potential restart, a place where the past can be shed. However, this hope is quickly undermined as the poem demonstrates that human nature, with its "jealousies of a province," transcends geographical boundaries. Even in this remote island, the same familiar conflicts and emotions persist.

The Futility of Escape: Themes of Isolation and Self-Deception

One of the poem's central themes is the impossibility of escaping oneself. The traveller initially seeks solace "far from any Physician," implying a desire to avoid facing uncomfortable truths or seeking remedies for inner turmoil. However, the poem demonstrates that wherever one goes, the same internal struggles will follow. The "doomed man" who refuses to leave the beautiful hillside, and the old woman lamenting her treatment of a loved one, represent the universality of human regret and the inability to simply outrun one's past. The "spitefully alive" seek purity in the deserts, highlighting a self-deceptive attempt to find absolution without confronting their own flaws.

Symbolic Landscapes: Glaciers, Clefts, and Crooked Paths

The Icelandic landscape itself is laden with symbolism. The "glitter/Of glaciers; the sterile immature mountains intense" represent a harsh, unforgiving environment that offers little in the way of comfort or ease. This contrasts with the initial hope of renewal, suggesting that the journey will not be a simple path to enlightenment. The "cleft/In the rock" and "waterfalls brushing the/Rocks" could symbolize hidden depths and cleansing forces, but they are quickly overshadowed by the prevalence of "rocks," suggesting an overall sense of stagnation and obstacle. The "crooked and furtive inches" of blood moving within the indigenous figure on horseback symbolizes the flawed and often secretive nature of human desire and motivation, even in a seemingly pristine environment.

The World's Enduring Presence: Jealousy and Homage

Auden uses recurring imagery of the natural world to emphasize the pervasiveness of human nature even in "unreal" Iceland. "The narrow bridge over a torrent" and "small farm under a crag" aren't scenes of tranquility. Instead, they are “natural settings for the jealousies of a province,” highlighting how even in this supposedly isolated environment, human conflict persists. This challenges the Romantic ideal of nature as a source of solace and purity, suggesting instead that it merely serves as a backdrop for the same old human dramas. The poem asks a haunting question: can we ever truly escape our own nature, or are we doomed to carry our "mendicant shadow" wherever we go, forever asking "Where is the homage? When / Shall justice be done? Who is against me? / Why am I always alone?"?

A Final Deadly Journey: Art and Escape

The poem concludes with a sense of cyclical inevitability. The lines "Tears fall in all the rivers…again some writer/Runs howling to his art" suggest a return to familiar patterns of suffering and creative expression. The "deadly journey" in the blinding snowstorm mirrors the initial journey to Iceland, highlighting the futile nature of seeking external solutions to internal problems. Even the artist, who seeks refuge in his art, is ultimately driven by the same underlying anxieties and desires. "Journey to Iceland," therefore, is a poignant exploration of the human condition, revealing the pervasive nature of isolation, self-deception, and the ultimately inescapable weight of the past. The fabulous country remains impartially far.