Thinking activity:Auden's poems

 Thinking activity about Auden's poems:

Hello readers,

Here, I am gonna write this blog about the topic "Auden's poems" which I have got as a thinking Task. I have to analyze the lines or topics of different poems by W.H.Auden . Those topics are " which lines of 'september 1 , 1939 ' you liked the most ? Why ? " And second is " What is so special about  "In  Memory Of W.B.Yeats ? " And the last is " is there any contemporary relevance of " Epitaph On A Tyrant ?" So, let's begin…

⭐ Introduction :

W.H. Auden was a poet, author and playwright. Auden was a leading literary influencer in the 20th century. Known for his chameleon-like ability to write poems in almost every verse form, Auden's travels in countries torn by political strife influenced his early works. He won the Pulitzer Prize in 1948. If you wanna know more about Auden click here.

⭐ September 1, 1939 :

"September 1, 1939" is a poem by W. H. Auden written on the outbreak of World War II. It was first published in The New Republic issue of 18 October 1939, and in book form in Auden's collection Another Time. 

September 1, 1939

W. H. Auden - 1907-1973

I sit in one of the dives

On Fifty-second Street

Uncertain and afraid

As the clever hopes expire

Of a low dishonest decade:

Waves of anger and fear

Circulate over the bright

And darkened lands of the earth,

Obsessing our private lives;

The unmentionable odour of death

Offends the September night.

Accurate scholarship can

Unearth the whole offencemore

   

September 1, 1939 was the day on which Nazi Germany invaded Poland, causing the outbreak of the Second World War. So, this way the title of the poem is very appropriate.

 The famous lines from the poem which I like the most is " “We must love one another or die.” because in this line Auden shows the truth about all human's relationship because if there is love between all humans then this line becomes beneficial for all human beings.so, that's the reason of likeness for this line.

And another line from this poem is , " not universal love / but to be loved alone " is a direct quote from The Diary of Vaslav Nijinsky.the relationship between Nijinsky and Diaghilev, who had been in a relationship since before Nijisnky began his career with the Ballets Russes. So,Auden would have known, in 1939 when he quoted from the diary, that they had been together. 

Only by overcoming selfishness and working together, the speaker insists, can people keep the “affirming flame” of hope and love burning bright. To put it bluntly, human survival itself depends on love.

One of the pages from Nijinsky's diary - he writes, at one point in the book, "I would like my writing to be photographed rather than printed, because printing does away with handwriting. Handwriting is a lovey thing; it is alive and full of character."

And another one is Accurate scholarship can

Unearth the whole offence

From Luther until now

That has driven a culture mad,

Find what occurred at Linz,

What huge imago made

A psychopathic god … 

 This is very interesting line also Linz is where Adolf Hitler was raised: ‘what occurred at Linz’ is a nod to the way that historians and biographers try to explain how ‘monsters’ are made by looking at what happened in that person’s childhood, i.e. what made Hitler into ‘A psychopathic god’

Thus, I wants to say that “September 1, 1939” is undoubtedly one of the great poems of the 20th century, one that marks the beginning of the second world war and which readers have returned to at times of national and personal crisis.Because of course this is only the beginning of an understanding of how a poem works. It takes us only to the very edges of the piece.

⚪what is so special about "In Memory Of W.B.Yeats?"

He disappeared in the dead of winter:

The brooks were frozen, the airports almost deserted,

And snow disfigured the public statues;

The mercury sank in the mouth of the dying day.

What instruments we have agree

The day of his death was a dark cold day.

Far from his illness

The wolves ran on through the evergreen forests,

The peasant river was untempted by the fashionable quays;

By mourning tongues

The death of the poet was kept from his poems.

But for him it was his last afternoon as himself,

An afternoon of nurses and rumours;

The provinces of his body revolted,

The squares of his mind were empty,

Silence invaded the suburbs,

The current of his feeling failed; he became his admirers.more 

  

In "In Memory Of W.B.Yeats"is divided in 3 parts:

 PART I: In the first section, W. H. Auden discusses the death of W. B. Yeats ‘in the dead of winter', a time when the brooks were all frozen over and snow made it difficult to make out the public statues.

PART II: in the second section of ‘In Memory of W. B. Yeats’, Auden turns to address the dead Yeats directly. ‘You were silly like us’,It is here that Auden makes his famous statement that ‘poetry makes nothing happen’. This is often analysed as an admission of poetry’s limitations as a tool for social and political change.

PART III: the final section of ‘In Memory of W. B. Yeats’ is written in regular quatrains of trochaic tetrameter catalectic, rhymed aabb. The trochaic metre here evokes the song, and there is something more formal  and even incantatory about this concluding section.

I have found something interesting about this poem is that 

‘In Memory of W. B. Yeats’ is a powerful poem not just about Yeats but about all poets whose work can teach us ‘how to praise’. These final words of Auden’s poem are, fittingly enough, inscribed on the poet’s own memorial stone in Poets’ Corner in Westminster Abbey.also In “In Memory of W.B. Yeats”, W.H. Auden writes an elegy to the death and work of Yeats. Auden is particularly concerned with the relationship between humans and the impersonal realm of nature.

Another song interesting thing which I found about this poem is that 

“Poetry makes nothing happen”

Auden gives the example of that famous statement from the second section, ‘poetry makes nothing happen’.This appears to be contradicted by what we find in the third and final section of ‘In Memory of W. B. Yeats’, in which the poet is ordered to do a number of things,  letting the healing fountain start within the deserts of the heart, teaching the free man how to praise  which can only be described as making things happen.

“Poetry makes nothing happen” is therefore as much a rhetorical act as a statement of Auden's actual beliefs about the  poetry. It means, Don't corrupt poetry by making it do the wrong thing. 

W.H. Auden, in his poem 'In Memory of WB Yeats', declares that 'poetry makes nothing happen', a questionable statement if ever there was one, as I hope this Perspective will demonstrate.

Thus,Auden seeks to immortalize W. B. Yeats by writing a poem about his memory and its value. He celebrates the immortality of Yeats's great poetry instead of mourning the man's demise.

⚪ Epitaph On A Tyrant :

Perfection, of a kind, was what he was after,

And the poetry he invented was easy to understand;

He knew human folly like the back of his hand,

And was greatly interested in armies and fleets;

When he laughed, respectable senators burst with laughter,

And when he cried the little children died in the streets.

   

‘Epitaph on a Tyrant’ is one of Auden’s short masterpieces. In just six lines, W. H. Auden  manages to say so much about the nature of tyranny. You can read ‘Epitaph on a Tyrant here.

W. H. Auden spent some time in Berlin during the 1930s, and it was here that he probably wrote 'Epitaph on a Tyrant', which was published in 1939, the year that the Second World War broke out. 

Yes, I have found the contemporary relevance for this poem but not for all the poems of Auden. In the poem “Epitaph of a Tyrant”, Auden uses distinct words like “perfection” to express the common goal of tyrants and their political schemes of reaching the stage of perfection in a society. “Perfection, of a kind, was what he was after  And the poetry he invented was easy to understand”.

'Epitaph on a Tyrant', like many of Auden's poems of the 1930s, was inspired by the appalling events of that decade, but it also neatly encapsulates the qualities and behaviour of all tyrants, from Herod to Henry VIII to Hitler.Considering the subject of the poem, the tone is surprisingly forgiving. The first line “Perfection, of a kind, was what he was after” highlights the humanity of the tyrant. He believes in an attainable perfection, in a salvation for humanity.

What does Auden mean by he knew human folly?

He believes in humanity. “He knew human folly like the back of his hand”. The “specialty” of a tyrant is knowledge of human folly; this allows him to gain power, and perhaps also serves as motivation…

videos , if you want to know more about Auden's poems:

  

  

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Thinking activity on For Whom The Bell Tolls

 Comparison of the literary works which are based on the war themes and also in narrative techniques, Characterization, effect of war , plot and point of view etc: 

Hello readers, here I'm gonna do the comparison between two works which are " All Quiet on the Western Front " and " For Whom The Bell Tolls " .So,  let's begin…

⚫ Introduction

Many times we have made a comparison between various literary works but it's very interesting to do the comparison between two novels which are based on war . 

All Quiet On The Western From: 

All Quiet on the Western Front  is a novel by Erich Maria Remarque, a German veteran of World War I.

The book describes the German soldiers' extreme physical and mental stress during the war, and the detachment from civilian life felt by many of these soldiers upon returning home from the front.

The novel was first published in November and December 1928 in the German newspaper Vossische Zeitung and in book form in late January 1929.more

For Whom The Bell Tolls: For Whom the Bell Tolls is a novel by Ernest Hemingway published in 1940. It tells the story of Robert Jordan, a young American volunteer attached to a Republican guerrilla unit during the Spanish Civil War. As a dynamiter, he is assigned to blow up a bridge during an attack on the city of Segovia.

It was published just after the end of the Spanish Civil War , whose general lines were well known at the time.

It assumes the reader knows that the war was between the government of the Second Spanish Republic,more

⚫ Narrative technique of All Quiet On The Western Front : 

In a novel format, the author can choose either a first-person, third-person limited, or third-person omniscient narration. In his classic anti-war novel “All Quiet on the Western Front,” Erich Maria Remarque chooses a first-person narrative approach that accomplishes very specific effects. 

⚫ Narrative Technique of For Whom The Bell Tolls : 'For Whom Bell Tolls' presents the narrative through an omniscient point of view that continually shifts back and forth between the characters. In this way, Hemingway can effectively chronicle the effect of the war on the men and women involved. 

In the novel "All Quiet On The Western Front" the narrative technique is first person narrative approach while in the novel "For Whom The Bell Tolls" Hemmingway presents the narrative through an omniscient point of view…

⚫ Writing style of "All Quiet On the Western Front"

⚫Direct

⚫ Edgy ⚫Reserved

thinks about tone in this novel as being gunfire when Paul is on the front lines and violin playing when he's off. The predominant vibe is sparseness, though. The author doesn't waste too many words and, in many cases, he skips weeks of pages with a single detail that moves the timeline dramatically forward in a phrase. He doesn't get too emotional over any one friend's death. He continues to drive the story forward in a way that makes it very hard for us to stop reading. There's a movement and a rhythm to the sentence structures of this novel.

While we compares ,

⚫ the writing style of "For Whom The Bell Tolls" we find that 

⚫Clipped, 

⚫Cutting, ⚫Concise

Hemingway's writing leaves quite a bit up to the mind of the reader. And what Hemingway actually says isn't always what you'd think he'd say if he just wanted to be straightforward. 

Thus , we can also say that we don't find any similarities in writing styles of  both the novels.

⚫ Characteristics:

In the novel For Whom The Bell Tolls as a chief Character 

Robert Jordan

Is An American volunteer for the Republican side in the Spanish Civil War and the protagonist of For Whom the Bell Tolls. Robert Jordan is pragmatic, very good at what he does, and never lets his emotions interfere with his work. 

While,

In The novel All Quiet On The Western Front

Paul Bäumer

A young German soldier fighting in the trenches during World War I. Paul is the protagonist and narrator of the novel. He is, at heart, a kind, compas-sionate, and sensitive young man, but the brutal expe-rience of warfare teaches him to detach himself from his feelings. 

We find some similarities between the chief characteristics in both the novels.

Central themes of the novels;

⚫ All Quiet On The Western Front:

Themes:

The Horror of War. The overriding theme of All Quiet on the Western Front is the terrible brutality of war, which informs every scene in the novel. …

The Effect of War on the Soldier. …

Nationalism and Political Power.

  

The main themes of All Quiet on the Western Front include individual vs. machine, friendship, and alienation and loneliness. Individual vs. machine: Paul initially glorifies war but becomes horrified by the impersonal technological forces behind modern warfare. 

⚫ For Whom The Bell Tolls :

 

Themes:

The Loss of Innocence in War. Each of the characters in For Whom the Bell Tolls loses his or her psychological or physical innocence to the war. …

The Value of Human Life. …

Romantic 

Love as Salvation…

  

In 'For Whom the Bell tolls,' John Donne explores themes of life, death, and the human condition. He suggests that no man is an “island.” Donne addresses humanity, asking everyone to reconsider how they perceive themselves and their relationship to everyone else. 

Thus, we can say that also the themes are not as well as the same in both the novels but , but at some points we found some similarities but it's not to be considered many more .

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Transcendentalism: thinking Task and online quiz

   Transcendentalists talks about Individual’s relation with Nature. What is Nature for you? Share your views.

2.)  Transcendentalism is an American Philosophy that influenced American Literature at length. Can you find any Indian/Regional literature or Philosophy came up with such similar thought? 

Hello friends, 

Here I'm gonna write about the transcendentalism and individual's relation with nature and also what is nature for me. According to this I'm gonna share my own views on it . So, let's begin…

⚫ Introduction

Transcendentalism was a religious, literary, and political movement that evolved from New England Unitarianism in the 1820s and 1830s. An important expression of Romanticism in the United States, it is principally associated with the work of essayist and poet Ralph Waldo Emerson; journalist and feminist theorist Margaret Fuller; Unitarian minister and antislavery advocate Theodore Parker; and essayist, naturalist, and political theorist Henry David Thoreau.

In their initial phase, the transcendentalists extended the Unitarian theological rebellion against Puritan Calvinism, moving toward a post-Christian spirituality that held each man and woman capable of spiritual development and fulfillment.more  

Transcendentalism is an American literary, philosophical, religious, and political movement of the early nineteenth century, centered around Ralph Waldo Emerson. Other important transcendentalists were Henry David Thoreau, Margaret Fuller, Lydia Maria Child, Amos Bronson Alcott, Frederic Henry Hedge, Elizabeth Palmer Peabody, and Theodore Parker.

 the transcendentalists operated with the sense that a new era was at hand. They were critics of their contemporary society for its unthinking conformity, and urged that each person find, in Emerson’s words, “an original relation to the universe” .

Then, we comes to our point after the discussion of basic introduction that what is the nature in transcendentalism.

It considered that Thoreau and Emerson emphasized on the transcendentalist idea of human harmony with nature. They believed that nature can help us improve spiritually and help us connect to the rest of the world. According to Transcendental ideas, everything is connected, everything is one.

But, suddenly I  have a question  that What did Transcendentalists believe about nature ❓

With the answer of this question many experts have to say that They believe that nature is sacred, and that it is imperative for individuals to connect with nature. Transcendentalists were lovers of nature, and did not think it was something that could be controlled by anyone. 

The main point of Emerson's nature:

Emerson asserts throughout Nature the primacy of spirit over matter. Nature's purpose is as a representation of the divine to promote human insight into the laws of the universe, and thus to bring man closer to God. 

Emerson's tone in nature:

Emerson's use of a calm, poetic tone and vivid imagery not only contributes to an appeal to pathos, but also gives insight into the positive influence that nature has on him. This insight gives the essay context, as Emerson's love of nature is his motivating reason for delivering his intention to the audience. 

But if I  thinks about the nature of humans then also one question emerges in my mind that  What effect does nature have on humans? 

So, some experts of this subject given the answer for this question is that Being in nature, or even viewing scenes of nature, reduces anger, fear, and stress and increases pleasant feelings. Exposure to nature not only makes you feel better emotionally, it contributes to your physical wellbeing, reducing blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension, and the production of stress hormones. 

If I go with my point of view then also I'll say that Nature gifts  many benefits to humans. From the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat, nature enhances our wellbeing and freely provides the essentials for our survival. For decades, scientists and environmentalists have discussed the concept of ECOSYSTEM SERVICES. 

Also I wanna say that Nature is very important for humans to survive and thrive, provided by the natural world around us : food, water, medicine, materials,  Nature is our sole supplier. 

If we are going through  our Indian  traditional literature then we find that some concepts regarding with this topic: 

The Concept of Brahma: is One of the similar topics about the term transcendentalism . Also it had great influence on Emerson . 

Brahma is the God of creation ,

and one of the Hindu Trinity Which the other being Vishnu is the preserver and saviour of the world and the destroyer of the world is Shiva.

The Bhagavad Geeta: 

The second similar topic is the Bhagavad Geeta . Emerson was particularly struck by the techniques of Bhagavad Geeta ,

"the first of books" as he once called it . "In England the understanding rules & materialistic truth , the becoming , the fit , the discreet , the brave , the advantageous but they could not produce such a book as the Bhagavad Geeta." 

The Laws of Karma:  Another  Indian  philosophical  concept  that  had tremendous  influence  on  Emerson  is  karma.  In  Sanskrit, karma means action  or  work. In the  Upanishadic and Vedic traditions,  

karma  signifies “the  results  or consequences  of action”  and,  more  distinctively,  “the  unwanted, fruits  of  action.”

The  results of disobedience bring future suffering and pain. The Vedas, the  Upanisads,  and  the  Bhagavad  Geeta  all  mention that consequences.

Thus, the law of karma is a device to link  up  actions  and  their  consequences  of  this  life  and of the  next.  The  Svetasvatara  Upanisad  states  two  important doctrines  about  karma:   “According  to  its  actions,  the embodied self chooses  repeatedly  various forms in various conditions  in  the next  life,”  and  “according to  its own qualities  and  acts, the  embodied  self  chooses the  kinds  of forms, large and small, that it will take on”. Therefore, it is the self that chooses the form it wants to be.

Thus, We conclude with the Emerson’s belief is aligned with the Indian philosophical and religious thought.  Three basic  concepts  of  Brahma,  namely,  formed and  formless  Brahma,  Atman,  and  Maya,  exerted  much influence on Emerson’s writings. His essay “The Oversoul” and  poem  “Brahma”  illustrate  the  idea  of  formed  and formless  Brahma,  whereas  his “Divinity  School  Address” deals with the concept of atman the impersonal god found in  every  human  being.  

   

 

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