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Poet: W. H. Auden
Poem: In Memory Of W.B. Yeats
Year: Published/Written in 1939
Comment 6 of 6, added on April 2nd, 2006 at 9:00 PM.
You guys are all so amateur. You have no idea what this poem is even about. First of all it's an elegy written in memory of W.B. Yeats. To be consistent with the ideal elegiac poem, Auden has given his poem a dark and somber tone. He reinforces this attitude with references to WWII, which was just starting around the time Auden wrote this poem. In the Second portion of his poem, he is using an apostrophe, directly addressing Yeats, and stating that "poetry is a way of expressing sadness and suffering," In his last part of the poem, he has changed his writing style to imitate that of Yeats (which is hardly a critique) and in the last stanza speaks of healing and comfort, acceptance if you will.
Leah from Canada
Comment 5 of 6, added on September 19th, 2005 at 2:01 AM.
this poem is super confusing in the way it is introduced and described.
kiiim from Australia
Comment 4 of 6, added on April 27th, 2005 at 8:12 PM.
This poem is very flattering to Yeats, and anyone that understands Yeats' poetry can clearly see that Auden has (by referring to Yeats in present tense) given Yeats credit for living beyond the grave "out of [his] body" and no longer in a "natural form" ("Sailing to Byzantium"). Auden's tone comments on the Modern Condition--not Yeats' poetry. Leslie is a novice.
Norris
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You guys are all so amateur. You have no idea what this poem is even about. First of all it's an elegy written in memory of W.B. Yeats. To be consistent with the ideal elegiac poem, Auden has given his poem a dark and somber tone. He reinforces this attitude with references to WWII, which was just starting around the time Auden wrote this poem. In the Second portion of his poem, he is using an apostrophe, directly addressing Yeats, and stating that "poetry is a way of expressing sadness and suffering," In his last part of the poem, he has changed his writing style to imitate that of Yeats (which is hardly a critique) and in the last stanza speaks of healing and comfort, acceptance if you will.
Leah from Canada