The Poetic Art of W H Auden

W. H. Auden is one of the major poets of the twentieth century. He stands next only to W. B. Yeats and T. S. Eliot. He had a deep knowledge of Marxism, political theory, history and theology. He wrote both plays and poetry on varied subjects. He was through and through a great poetic artist, a master of metrical composition.

Auden studied human nature closely and deeply. He wrote of modern man. Even in his poems he had written on Nature. His interest is centered on man, not on Nature for Nature’s own sake. His modernity lies in his treatment of modern subjects like Psychology, Economics, Politics and Religion. He discussed at length man’s psychological problems. A number of poems have written through discussion on Marxism. Auden expressed in his poems that man’s psychological ills are much greater than his social and political ills.

W. H. Auden is modern in the sense that he has used symbolism as a technique in his poetry quite in profession. Symbolism is an important part of his poetic art. He has symbolized modern cultures, different peoples and the different forces working in modern man. Auden’s symbolism is based on belief that the modern age is a spiritual ice-age. In his view modern man is spiritually dead and emotionally frozen. Selfless love, sympathy, compassion have been abandoned as useless things. Modern men have become totally materialistic. Like Eliot Auden also denounced materialism.

Auden has written a number of poems on love, but his concept of love is not romantic. He has used the word ‘love’ in his poems in an impersonal manner. At one time Auden wrote-

Elsewhere he wrote-

In fact Auden’s poetry does not reveal any clear concept of life.

Auden’s poetry is primarily intellectual rather than emotional. The main source of his intellectual quality is his conceptual diction which consists of words that produce in the reader not feelings but intellectual response. In the poem,”In Memory of W. B. Yeats” he uses the phrase,”Intellectual disgrace.” His use of intellectual symbolism has further made his poetry intellectual.

So we find that Auden is decidedly one of the greatest poets of the modern age. His originality is remarkable, his versatility is highly commendable. Kenneth Allott very rightly regards him as one of the agreatest modern poets.

Related Question

1️⃣ “The poetry of Auden appeals more to the intellect than to the emotions.” Evaluate with examples.

1️⃣ “The poetry of Auden appeals more to the intellect than to the emotions.” Evaluate with examples.