W.H Auden: An Analysis of his Life and Work Christina Tyler 11/24/08 11:30-12:45 The unparalleled poetry of W.H.

Auden is created from war imagery and historical references. His poems take love farther than within the walls of ones own body and project the feeling far out into the universe. He always has more under the surface, telling two stories at once. Fellow poet, and friend, Steven Spender states, There is a dualistic idea running through all his work which encloses it like the sides of a box. This idea is the symptom and the cure (LitFinder). Audens poetry deals mainly in war metaphors because his life was surrounded by war. Not only did he live in the time of World War II, he served in the Spanish Civil War and travelled between Germany, Iceland, China and Spain in the 1930s. His poetry frequently recounts, literally or metaphorically, a journey or quest, and his travels provided rich material for his verse (poets.org). War and love are two things he knows a great deal about; which is why its so prolific in his writings. Auden was also very involved in politics; a recurring theme in his poetry. Auden once wrote in a letter to E.R. Dodds, I am not one of those who believe that poetry need or even should be directly political, but in a critical period such as ours, I do believe that the poet must have direct knowledge of the major political events (Dictionary of Literary Biographies). His poetry changed from the focus of power to the physical, emotional and spiritual complexity of love. Audens poetry illustrates his changes from Marxism, Freudian

ideology to his new found Christian ideals that he found once he moved to America in the late 1930s. In Audens ten stanza poem, The Airmans Alphabet, he uses bomber metaphors and images of war to describe the function of each word at the beginning of each stanza and display the progression of a pilots emotional story. This poem is an excellent example of the dual story lines often used by Auden to tell multiple stories in one poem. This story has no specific rhyme scheme but is carried off with a certain beat. The first word of each stanza lays the scene, not only explaining the first words duty but if read without the first word it progresses from excitement to the dread of battle. The first five stanzas explain the excitement and skill of a new pilot while describing the functions of each word.
ACE -- Pride of parents and photographed person and laughter in leather. ..... ENGINE -- Darling of designers and dirty dragon and revolving roarer. FLYING -- Habit of hawks and unholy hunting and ghostly journey. ..... JOYSTICK -- Pivot of power and responder to pressure and grip for the glove. .... MECHANIC -- Owner of overalls and interested in iron and trusted with tools. ..... OBSERVER -- Peeper through periscope

and peerer at pasture and eye in the air.

The poem starts on the ground, full of optimism, with the character ready for anything. The progression is climbing higher like the plane of the pilot. Like with most of Audens poems it takes a sinister turn. He elates the reader with promise but dashes their hopes. Since Auden is familiar with war and bloodshed it is likely that he would use this motif in his poetry; the bright hope being crumpled by harsh reality.
TIME -- Expression of alarm and used by the ill and personal space. ..... WIRELESS -- Sender of signal and speaker of sorrow and news from nowhere .. X -- Mark upon map and meaning mischief and lover's lingo. ..... ZERO -- Love before leaving and touch of terror and time of attack.

These are the expressions of terror as the pilots fate isnt what he expected. The stanza about being wireless and getting news from nowhere(line 24) suggests disconnection and being at a loss for help. This could also be a metaphor for Audens personal life. As a homosexual man living in a time where it was not too widely accepted he could feel isolated and unable to talk to someone about his struggles or inner most feelings. The X stanza symbolizes the airmans mark that he must hit but critics speaking from Litfinder say that this

stanza has a sexual connotation and an emphasis on strategy. I am inclined to agree with this analysis because of the line lovers lingo (line 27). The Litfinder critics also state that the stanza emulating Zero is centered around the authors inner aggression and desire. Because of Audens homosexuality and political views his alienation is prevalent in his poetry. Critics claim that homosexuality is prevalent throughout the poem. The bomber is said to be the human body, while the parts of the plane have a sexual connotation. Critics claim that Auden is trying to defend the masses and reveal the enemy and that the airman character is meant to sacrifice resistance to self destruct to destroy enemy power (litfinder). Again I agree with critics on this point. Where I disagree is when they say that this poem blurs political and social distinction (litfinder). I dont see that as the case, I think that the poem clearly shows both if read in the proper context. Audens six stanza poem The Lesson uses a dream metaphor, surreal settings and war images to illustrate the narrators sudden loss and panic over a love not meant to be. The poem is written from the authors subconscious as a way to outline his personal turmoil. This poem also doesnt follow a specific rhyme scheme and he is, again, using images of war. But he doesnt just use war images Auden also uses panic, confusion, fire and the familiarity of home to validate the lesson he learns at the poems end. Unfortunately they had to leave home, suggesting an awkwardness or unease about home life. The first time that I dreamed, we were in flight, And fagged with running; there was civil war, A valley full of thieves and wounded bears. Farms blazed behind us; turning to the right, We came at once to a tall house, its door

Wide open, waiting for its long-lost heirs.

Our lives were not in order; we must leave.

Stanza one is about running from conflict. The character and his love are fleeing from a crisis, surrounded by dastardly images of thieves (stealing his love away) and fire (destroy what he holds dear) and of a mighty hunter, fallen. The house in this stanza is a symbol of tradition and familiarity; often used in dreams to tell the dreamer of his need for a place of comfort and security. The characters run up to the home with its doors already open as though they are being welcomed with open arms. But as usual Auden fails to keep the positive spin that he begins his poems with. His sixth, but one line, stanza acts not only as a transition to the next dream but it crushes the hope of a safe haven.
Our lips met, wishing universal good; But on their impact sudden flame and wind Fetched you away and turned me loose again

Stanza three follows a similar pattern to its predecessor by false images of hope. A moment of passion is immediately interrupted by images of elements that tear them apart. His love is taken away in a tornado wind and fire that leaves the narrator standing alone. Critics assess that this stanza is an erotic encounter; made aware by the obvious our lips met (line 8) but also by using the metaphor of fire to describe great passion.
And the last dream was this: we were to go To a great banquet and a Victory Ball After some tournament or dangerous test. . . .

..... In its own way tried to teach My will to love you that it cannot be, As I think, of such consequence to want What anyone is given, if they want?

The fourth stanza is said to be weighted in politics because as they would phrase it, Gods grace is useless in a time of bloodshed (Litfinder). The subjects of his dream ending at a banquet is a symbol of success after a great struggle; the ability to sit back, enjoy the fruits of ones labors after a difficult time. The last stanza is harder to decipher because of how he breaks off his lines. Auden could be suggesting that it should not be so impossible for one to get what one desires. This stanza ties up the poem and explains what he learns from his subconscious. This poem is an example of Audens interests in Freud. In the teachings of Freud it is crucial to study ones dreams to understand their inner psyche. The Lesson is Audens thoughts and hopes manifested through war and desire for escapism. Litfinders critics say that these three dreams are from the Second World War, which I would have to disagree with; considering Auden uses the words civil war (line 2) and he has firsthand experience with civil war and the style of German Blitzkrieg and Spanish warfare. The four stanza poem by W.H. Auden, Funeral Blues, is a love poem about loss. Audens imagery of expanding devastation progresses the poem through the many stages of loss.

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone, Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone, Silence the pianos and with muffled drum Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.

The sadness is small, mostly in his immediate surroundings. He wants the world to be absolutely quiet so his lover can be mourned in peace. The silence is a way for Auden to close himself off from the world he knows. There are no metaphors, just simplicity; as it should begin.
Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead Scribbling on the sky the message He Is Dead, Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves, Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves. Stanza two expands that sadness farther. Auden uses both birds and planes, two things that have few limits to how far they can go, to describe how his broken heart is expanding. He uses the words skymessages, public doves and policemen to show that the absence of his love must be felt by everyone. The black of the policemens gloves is color imagery; black often the symbol of mourning and intensity. He was my North, my South, my East and West, My working week and my Sunday rest, My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song; I thought that love would last for ever: I was wrong.

These four lines encapsulate how completely enamored the author is of his love and

how the one he loves completes him fully. His love is the air he breathes, the sun that warms his skin and his whole purpose for being. His ideology of a permanent love is destroyed. He is now questioning what he knows.
The stars are not wanted now: put out every one; Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun; Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood. For nothing now can ever come to any good.

Audens loss stretches far out into the universe, taking over everything he once knew to be beautiful. All the majesty of the universe is lost now that there is no one left to share it with. The last line points out his hopelessness to ever feel happiness again. He cant bear to look at anything that once held value or allure. The sorrow of the narrator breaches the confines of ones own heart and swells out into the immense vacuum of space; he has an emptiness inside him that cannot be filled, altered or forgotten. The reader feels this loss with the narrator. The progression is obvious; the sadness swells like a large balloon; it starts out small and then takes over everything. In Audens seven stanza poem, O Tell Me the Truth About Love uses contrasting metaphors, sensory images and constant questioning in an attempt to figure out the mystery of what love really is. Some say love's a little boy, And some say it's a bird, Some say it makes the world go around,

Some say that's absurd, And when I asked the man next-door, Who looked as if he knew, His wife got very cross indeed, And said it wouldn't do. This poem begins like many of his other poems. Audens theme is to start out small, stay within his comfort zone and personal space; as shown in the fifth line when he says he asked the man next door. The little boy metaphor in line one is questioning whether or not love will be rash, impulsive but also a little sweet. The bird (in line two) is an opposing metaphor, symbolizing consistency and an inner compass to guide you. Auden asking his neighbor for advice on the subject offers an amusing look into married life, often imitated in sitcoms, that the silly husband is clueless; the wife claiming his answer just isnt good enough. Does it look like a pair of pyjamas, Or the ham in a temperance hotel? Does its odour remind one of llamas, Or has it a comforting smell? Is it prickly to touch as a hedge is, Or soft as eiderdown fluff? Is it sharp or quite smooth at the edges? O tell me the truth about love.

The above stanza focuses on the sense of touch. Audens speculation is if love displeasant and harsh or if it is comforting, trustworthy and something easy to enfold yourself in. The imagery he uses keeps the stanza simple and draws easy to understand parallels between what hurts and what mollifies. Our history books refer to it In cryptic little notes, It's quite a common topic on The Transatlantic boats; I've found the subject mentioned in Accounts of suicides, And even seen it scribbled on The backs of railway guides. In traditional Auden style his third stanza is beginning to expand his thoughts on love far beyond the simple parameters of his mind into history and across oceans. The focus this time is not on the senses but on the writings and verbal accounts of love. Love is a universal language, being sought and desired no matter where you are in the world. The theme of this stanza is also travel, something Auden was quite familiar with in his life so it was a common metaphor in his poetry. The mention of suicide in line twenty-two says that even in a beings darkest hour that love still reigned supreme; either they had it and lost it or never found it. The theme of this chapter is thinking of love when in a transitory state; such as country to country, life to death or

state to state, showing its power. That even when you have nothing to physically hold on to, there is still love. Does it howl like a hungry Alsatian, Or boom like a military band? Could one give a first-rate imitation On a saw or a Steinway Grand? Is its singing at parties a riot? Does it only like Classical stuff? Will it stop when one wants to be quiet? O tell me the truth about love. Audens fourth stanza uses audio metaphors to make an example of two contrasting views of love being modest or exuberant. An Alsatian is a German Shepherd, so in lines twentyfive and twenty-six Auden contrasts the longing of a single desperate animal that echoes his desire through the forest with the overwhelming sound of a massive and violent band. Auden questions if love needs to be over the top or imitated in a more understated manner in lines twenty-seven and twenty-eight. This chapter is a question of whether love is quiet and subdued or if it needs to be loud and the center of attention. But the real question is will it stop when one wants to be quiet? (line 31). The narrator wants to know, if they want peace and alone time, does that love grow quiet as well? I looked inside the summer-house; It wasn't over there;

I tried the Thames at Maidenhead, And Brighton's bracing air. I don't know what the blackbird sang, Or what the tulip said; But it wasn't in the chicken-run, Or underneath the bed. Now Auden is searching for the meaning of love and the travel theme has reappeared. Auden is making love into a physical entity, rather than an emotion, as a way of searching for it in particular places. Can it pull extraordinary faces? Is it usually sick on a swing? Does it spend all its time at the races, or fiddling with pieces of string? Has it views of its own about money? Does it think Patriotism enough? Are its stories vulgar but funny? O tell me the truth about love. The sixth stanza is the personification of love; what one might look for or avoid in a companion. Is this person silly, a gambler, idle or opinionated? He wants to know what someone should be like to be loved. Auden examines different aspects in humanity to display the questioning one would go through in choosing a mate. The mystery lies in the ties that bind us.

When it comes, will it come without warning Just as I'm picking my nose? Will it knock on my door in the morning, Or tread in the bus on my toes? Will it come like a change in the weather? Will its greeting be courteous or rough? Will it alter my life altogether? O tell me the truth about love. Audens final stanza encompasses all the shades of love. Line fifty, just as Im picking my nose, is the humor behind love. Will it knock on my door in the morning, or tread in the bus on my toes (lines-51-52) is when love comes to you when youre least expecting it, the feeling comes to you when its ready. Auden ends this poem as he normally does, with love encompassing ones entire universe, abruptly changing the setting and the narrators life. Auden demonstrates the inner workings of the human mind; that love will find them and change the lives they lead. W.H. Audens poetry is captivating on the revolutionary power of love. He is capable of reaching deep within himself to describe how the search for and loss of love makes him feel, making him able to connect with his readers. His beautiful use of images of war and an overwhelming emotional expansion in the progression of his poetry demonstrates why he is considered the greatest English poet of the twentieth century (poets.org). His poems may

mainly focus on war and love, but he does have a common suffering theme in those and other poems he has, such as; Musee des Beaux Arts. Audens two stanza poem Musee des Beaux Arts uses his classic dual storytelling, historical and artistic allusions to explain how suffering affects the lives of his subjects and the lives of the people around them. About suffering they were never wrong, The Old Masters; how well, they understood Its human position; how it takes place While someone else is eating or opening a window or just walking dully along; How, when the aged are reverently, passionately waiting For the miraculous birth, there always must be Children who did not specially want it to happen, skating On a pond at the edge of the wood: They never forgot That even the dreadful martyrdom must run its course Anyhow in a corner, some untidy spot Where the dogs go on with their doggy life and the torturer's horse Scratches its innocent behind on a tree. The first half of Audens poem is about how one persons suffering can occur simultaneously to another persons joy or indifference. He uses contrasting images of youth and old age to properly animate the differences in peoples lives. Auden demonstrates how

everyones lives intertwine. The older generation is looking for the creation of more life to celebrate, because theirs is drawing to a close; but the children are dreading the expansion of their families because they are in the prime of their lives and motivated by selfishness. They continue about their days, knowing what will happen but being unable to stop it. Auden uses the forest as a metaphor for life. The first three lines set the reader up for the end of the poem and how that character is doomed to fail. In Breughel's Icarus, for instance: how everything turns away Quite leisurely from the disaster; the ploughman may Have heard the splash, the forsaken cry, But for him it was not an important failure; the sun shone As it had to on the white legs disappearing into the green Water; and the expensive delicate ship that must have seen Something amazing, a boy falling out of the sky, had somewhere to get to and sailed calmly on. The story of Icarus is that he created wings from thread, feathers and wax to save him and his father from captivity, but the closer he flew to the sun the wax that molded his wings began to melt and he plunged into the sea. Breughels painting depicts that moment when Icarus falls into the ocean with the farmer looking only to his work. This second stanza has a parallel story line of its own; that in a time of one mans suffering he was ignored because his failure didnt affect the daily lives of the ones around him. The ploughman doesnt feel the need to help because he can still go about his work and the ship doesnt mind Icarus suffering

because the boys failure does not hinder their travel plans. This use of a mostly historical reference is Audens way of shedding light onto peoples inability to feel empathy to the people that fail around us because it does not directly affect our course. W.H. Auden is a great poet for his ability to create beauty with his words from the pain in his heart. He has seen war, known loss, travelled the world in times of turmoil and found love in his life. He lived a life of adventure and kept the company of poets Stephen Spender and Christopher Isherwood. While his beliefs may have changed from Marxism, Freudian Psychology then to Christian and Protestant ideology he kept a firm center as his base, for what I consider, for lack of a better term, true bohemian ideals of truth, beauty, freedom and love. His charisma for the human condition is how his poetry grips the reader. His poetry didnt stick to a particular format or rhyme scheme, but he did always have a way of making it flow smoothly or create a beat with the rhythm; much like how he handled his personal and public life.