Auden - Summary

Each line of this poem represents Auden’s ideas of a great memorial for W B Yeats which is supported by the intentionally placed words, punctuations and innuendos. In the first few line of stanza stanza one Auden starts off by recreating what the present condition was like at the time of his death to create a gloomier atmosphere to get the readers attention. He does this in most of his poem, creating an atmosphere to get the readers attention such as now the leaves are falling fast. “Now the leaves are falling fast” Auden recreates very windy atmosphere to start of the poem, to set up the lament which is “Nurse’s flowers will not last;” Auden poems are always well structured. And in refugee blues, the last stanza “Stood on a great plain in the falling snow; Ten thousand soldiers marched to and fro: Looking for you and me, my dear, looking for you and me.” Is creating the scenery where no one can hide, a vast area where any other color would outstand the plain white snow therefore this last stanza is a very atrocious scenery for those experiencing it. Auden is always keeping the readers interested through different style of writing.

Punctuations used in the first stanza creates a clearer view of what the poet wants to express. The pauses “The brooks were frozen, the airports almost deserted,” this is a clear structure that would urge the readers with energy to keep on reading. He also does this in control of the passes. Starts off the poem with a series of pauses to keep the audience attention “ Control of the passes was, he saw, the key” Auden was trying to create drama and add meanings to this line. And though aware of our rank and alert to obey orders “Watching with binoculars the movement of the grass for an ambush” the pause at the end of this line is a very strong pause that is trying to create a surprise for the readers.

The language he uses in the first stanza are very strong. The poem starts off with “he disappeared in the dead of winter”