“Astronauts” is set in outer space on the vast terrain of the moon “Shadow of moonscape” (Line 5). The poem is set in free verse as it has no regular metre. It is arranged in lines but has no fixed metrical pattern or expectation. The first stanza sets a mood of seriousness and by describing each action separately, “Armoured in oxygen, faceless in visors...” (Line 1) it suggests purposefulness. The second stanza creates a mood of joy and the astronauts’ abilities to be proud of what they’ve achieved “They sing, exulting (though trained to be wary of “emotion and philosophy”)” (Line 11). The third stanza suggests a mood of difficulty as the crew start to “labour” (Line 22) to find clues. Finally, the fourth stanza implies a mood of uncertainty, with Hayden inquiring into what people want from these men “They loom there heroic antiheroes” (Line 30). The author also poses a question of how people feel about the astronauts’ voyage and whether people should be troubled by their passage into the unknown universe.
The astronauts are the main characters as the poem follows their journey into space and onto the moon. It is portrayed that people on earth revere the astronauts because they have travelled to outer space, overcoming their fear of the unknown which mankind are still challenged with. “Smaller than myth and poignantly human” (Line 32). This explains that they are real and human and that what they’ve accomplished is a reality. “Poignantly human” describes that it is a good and bad thing that the astronauts are human. It is good because it means that what they have achieved is within any human’s reach and that mankind’s dreams have potential. However, it is bad because man will always have a fear of things they do not understand or know.
Imagery is used to express the serious mood in the first stanza “Armoured in oxygen, faceless in visors” (Line 1). This imagery describes the astronaut’s suits, which is their main source of survival. It is ironic that the astronauts begin to sing once on the moon when they have been trained to be cautious of “emotion and philosophy” (Line 13). This irony is put into place to show, even after being trained, nothing could prevent the display of joy for what they have attained.
The main ideas and themes expressed in this poem include mankind’s fear of the unknown, the journey of life and, one of the minor themes, the existence of god and whether he is with us. A theme that is put forward during this poem is the people’s fear of things they don’t understand or know. The citizens back on Earth admire the astronauts for they have travelled to a place which man knows hardly anything about and does not fully comprehend. This means they have overcome the fear of space and its wonders and have gained the peoples respect for it. Another idea present throughout the poem is that the astronaut’s journey is a metaphor for the journey of life. It explores the idea that life is about overcoming challenges and fears and about exploring and discovering in order to achieve what u want out of life. One minor theme investigated in this poem is the possible existence of god. Robert Hayden introduces this idea by implying that Man often wonders whether there is a god out there and if so, is he watching us and is he there to guide us.
Robert Hayden illustrates the journey of a group of astronauts in the poem “Astronauts”. Questions, which are meant to make the readers think and feel about the journey, are put forward. The author positions the readers to view the astronaut’s journey as a metaphor of life and the challenges people face as well as their discoveries. The bravery and heroism of the astronauts, as they have been able to overcome the fear of things unknown, may their actions provide an example for mankind for years to come.