Describe how crisis is shown in one poem

Describe how crisis is shown in one poem

The significance of crisis, and often more interestingly, the reaction of crisis is fundamental in many poems written by Auden. Crisis is depicted in O What Is That Sound as a major event, with panic and the unknown reaching a climax in the last stanzas. The structure of the poem is chronological, with the reader experiencing the events with the characters. The inevitable of the soldiers coming is known from the beginning of the poem by the one of the characters; however the reader of the poem and the other voice is unaware until the sudden change at the end gives a definite answer that the soldiers are coming. Structurally, the poem builds up to this in frenzy, with one of the voices in the text conveying pure panic and emotion compared to the more relaxed, presumably male voice. The first stanza introduces us to the narrative juxtaposition beginning with ‘O what is that sound’, which shows unfamiliarity with the noises being heard and worry regarding why the noise is there. The cool, calm response of ‘only the scarlet soldiers, dear’ acts as reassurance through calming terms of endearment that there isn’t going to be a problem.
The first person, introspective style creates fear of the crisis about to happen, as the reader feels they are present as the situation unfolds. The constant reassurance and downplaying of soldiers being present is juxtaposed with the actual reaction, it instead adds more tension and curiosity to the first voice as they grow increasingly panicked and nervous about the situation. ‘Dear’ is used in every stanza apart from the last as a term of endearment to sooth panic. However with the lack of presence of the word dear in the last stanza, this structurally shows the crisis has occurred and atmospherically shifted from a highly wound and tense atmosphere to all tension being released as the crisis occurs. ‘Were the vows you swore deceiving, deceiving?’ shows aggression towards the implied husband, as if she has been betrayed and wrongly done. The reasons are unknown for his capture by the soldiers, with the wife being possibly scared of authoritarian figures or aware of her husband’s illegal activities she does not question why he has been taken. Crisis is significant in this poem as it completely eliminates one narrator, leaving the other voice in the poem completely alone. This is shown by no questions being present in the stanza, compared to the previous question and answer style of writing. The definitive of what has happened is in the last stanza. This is the aftermath of crisis, described as the destruction that has been left. ‘O its broken the lock and splintered the door’. ‘And their eyes are burning.’ Shows fear of the unknown is over, and it represents what has happened has finally came to end. Panic has changed to sadness after the crisis, which is significant to the reader as it shows the emotions that the narrators go through due to one event of crisis.