The inspiration for the work of a poet is stimulated by their role in both society and the environment. In the case of W.H. Auden the diversity of his works represent the variation of experiences in his life. According to Professor E. Hishikawa at Kobe University, "Auden's literary life can be divided into four main phases; his fathers influence, devotion for landscapes, travels, and arrival to the United States of America." Together, all these periods in his life make up the great variety of the works that are considered to be some of the best of the century. .
His father influenced his earliest phase of writing. He was a great physician whom Auden shared a close, affectionate relationship with. This medical, and scientific influence became the motif of his early poetic works. These poems were filled with recurrent images of disease, healing, and bodily functions. Professor Hishikawa stated that "his poem Lullaby was a direct example of this.".
"Lay your sleeping head, my love,.
Human on my faithless arm:.
Time and fevers burn away.
Individual beauty from.
Thoughtful children, and the grave.
Proves the child ephemeral:.
But in my arms till break of day.
Let the living creature lie,.
Mortal, Guilty, but to me.
The entirely beautiful.".
This poem can be seen as Auden's perspective of his father's profession. In this particular case Auden writes about how these children put their trust into his father, and although sometimes they may die, to him they are still beautiful. In this specific stanza he is demonstrating that in reality sick people do indeed die, regardless of their age. .
According to biographies.com Auden's family eventually moved to Birmingham, and it was here that he established his interest in landscapes, and thus began the second stage of his works. It is said that Auden became fascinated with urban and industrial landscapes, and created a private and imaginary world composed of limestone, and deserted mines.
W.H. Auden: A Man of his Words Perfection, of a kind, was what he was after And the poetry he invented was easy to understand; He knew human folly like the back of his hand, And was greatly interested in armies and fleets; When he laughed, respectable senators burst with laughter, And w...
W.H. Auden, the distinguished poet, playwright and author, was of the opinion that "a poet is, before anything else, a person who is passionately in love with language" (W.H. Auden n. pag.). In his poem "Lullaby" (Auden 29), there is a clear focus on the expression of love. ... For the purpose of this discussion it is important to note Auden's sexual orientation; he was gay. ...
Analysis of "The Unknown Citizen" We are just a number according to the government, we are not referred to as a name at the IRS, but a simple nine digit code with the pattern of ###-##-####. The Poem "The Unknown Citizen" by W.H. Auden is about us. "The Unknown Citizen" is a poem that is writt...
W.H. Auden writes the poem, "Funeral Blues," in 1940 (802). ... Auden talks about a person's grief and creates a very sad and depressing feeling. This is based on Auden's choice of words and sentence structure. ... Auden brings across very strong feeling of grief and depression that can happen after a loved one dies. ...
Refugee Blues is a poem written by W.H. Auden. It takes place in Europe during World War II, and it is written in the voice of a German Jew and what he and his loved one had to go through during Hitler's reign. W.H. Auden grew up in the United Kingdom and later became an American citizen. It was ass...
Modern Man - The Unknown Citizen The English-born American writer Wystan Hugh Auden was one of the most important poets of the 20th century. ... I felt the time period reflected W.H. Auden's views, making the unknown citizen an example of the government's view of the perfect modern man in an overrated unrealistic society. ... The question was absurd: Had anything been wrong we should certainly have heard (Auden 212)". ... I felt the time period reflected W.H. ...
W.H. Auden's Mussee des Beaux Arts is a prime analysis of this theory of suffering and other people's attitudes toward it. ... "(15) There is a bitterness in Auden's tone that confirms that to him this is truly a heinous act. ... W.H. Auden's poem Mussee des Beaux Arts proves that this is true. ...
W.H. ... Dickinson and Auden use imagery to help the reader visualize the theme of death. ... Auden, on the other hand, uses imagery in a different way. Auden states, "Silence the pianos and with muffled drum bring out the coffin, let the mourners come" and "Put crepe bows around the white necks of the public doves, let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves" (Auden 3-4, 7-8). ... Auden compares the loved one to cardinal directions; he does this to let the reader know whoever passed away was very important to the significant other "He was my North, my South, my...
