******************** POSTING RULES & NOTES ******************** #1 YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. #2 This mail-list, like most, is publicly & permanently archived. #3 Subscribe and post under an alias if #2 is a concern. *****************************************************************
Auden was a centennial scholar at Swarthmore the year I graduated --- supposedly, he had been a "visitor" there back in the 40s and had made quite an impression. An English Professor at the time (1963 maybe), gave a lecture entitled Auden at Swarthmore -- aside from being a great poet (I liked "Musee des Beaux Artes" myself) he seemed like a heluva character! On Mon, Oct 22, 2018 at 3:10 PM Louis Proyect via Marxism < marxism@lists.csbs.utah.edu> wrote: > ******************** POSTING RULES & NOTES ******************** > #1 YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. > #2 This mail-list, like most, is publicly & permanently archived. > #3 Subscribe and post under an alias if #2 is a concern. > ***************************************************************** > > W.H. Auden is my favorite poet. Unfortunately, Poem Hunter only has one > of his poems online, obviously dictated by copyright laws. The other > major poetry database, Poetry Foundation, only has a handful. This > motivated me to buy a used copy of the Collected Poems, a 915 page > Vintage paperback for only $14.99. I turned through the pages a few > minutes ago and picked out this quintessential 1939 poem that reflects > his political sensibility--so far from the "proletarian" dictates of the > Communist Party. There is no need to puzzle over its meaning. It speaks > for itself. > > When he was at Oxford, became part of the “Oxford Group” that was also > called the “Auden Generation.” Stephen Spender, another favorite of > mine, C. Day Lewis, and Louis MacNeice were also members. The Oxford > Group was influenced by Marxism but as should be obvious from the poem > below, with a distinctly Brechtian sardonic outlook. > > The Unknown Citizen > > (To JS/o7/M/378 This Marble Monument Is Erected by the State) > > He was found by the Bureau of Statistics to be One against whom there > was no official complaint, And all the reports on his conduct agree > That, in the modern sense of an old-fashioned word, he was For in > everything he did he served the Greater Community. Except for the War > till the day he retired He worked in a factory and never got fired, But > satisfied his employers, Fudge Motors Inc. > Yet he wasn't a scab or odd in his views, For his Union reports that he > paid his dues, (Our report on his Union shows it was sound) And our > Social Psychology workers found That he was popular with his mates and > liked a drink. The Press are convinced that he bought a paper every day > And that his reactions to advertisements were normal in every way. > Policies taken out in his name prove that he was fully insured, And his > Health-card shows he was once in hospital but left it cured. Both > Producers Research and High-Grade Living declare He was fully sensible > to the advantages of the Instalment Plan And had everything necessary to > the Modern Man, A phonograph, a radio, a car and a frigidaire. Our > researchers into Public Opinion are content That he held the proper > opinions for the time of year; When there was peace, he was for peace; > when there was war, he went. He was married and added five children to > the population, Which our Eugenist says was the right number for a > parent of his generation, And our teachers report that he never > interfered with their education. Was he free? Was he happy? The question > is absurd: Had anything been wrong, we should certainly have heard. > _________________________________________________________ > Full posting guidelines at: http://www.marxmail.org/sub.htm > Set your options at: > http://lists.csbs.utah.edu/options/marxism/mameerop%40gmail.com _________________________________________________________ Full posting guidelines at: http://www.marxmail.org/sub.htm Set your options at: http://lists.csbs.utah.edu/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
