Thanks to the popular 1994 movie Four Weddings and a Funeral, thousands of people who had probably never read a word from W.H. Auden have been exposed to his work. [1]
Wystan Hugh Auden was born on 21 February 1907 in York, England, but later in his life became an American citizen. He is widely considered to be one of the most important poets of the 20th century,
Auden was the last of three sons born to George and Constance Auden, a doctor and a missionary nurse. The Audens were minor gentry with a strong clerical tradition, and the children grew up in a highly intellectual family. He first attended St Edmund’s School in Surrey, before moving to Gresham’s School in Norfolk when he was 13. His first published poems appeared in that school’s magazine in 1923. Continuing his studies at Christ Church, Oxford, Auden became friends with other prominent writers of the time, and it was during this period that he began to develop his unique style.
Auden’s work is characterized by its wit, irony, and scepticism, and he often used humour to critique the societies in which he lived. His style was marked by his use of everyday language, combined with a highly intellectual approach to his subjects. Some of his most famous poems include Stop all the Clocks, The Shield of Achilles, and September 1, 1939, which deals with the outbreak of World War II.
Auden’s friends described him as funny, extravagant, sympathetic, generous, and, partly by his own choice, lonely. In groups he was often dogmatic and overbearing in a comic way; in more private settings he was quiet and shy except when certain of his welcome. He was punctual in his habits and obsessive about meeting deadlines.
Auden lived a highly itinerant life, travelling extensively throughout Europe and the United States. He spent many years living in New York City, where he became an American citizen in 1946. He continued to write prolifically throughout his life, and his work was highly acclaimed both in his own time and after his death in 1973.
Today, Auden’s poetry is still widely read and appreciated, and his legacy continues to inspire new generations of writers and poets. His work has had a lasting impact, and he remains one of the most important figures of 20th-century poetry.