Wystan Hugh Auden
Wystan Hugh Auden was born on February 21, 1907, in provincial York, England. Over the next sixty-six years, he became one of the most prolific poets of the twentieth century. He was a versatile poet who felt that poetry was "a game of knowledge." He boarded at Gresham’s School in Norfolk and in 1925 went to Christ Church at Oxford. Although he initially studied biology, he quickly switched to English. From there he embarked on a literary career that covered almost fifty years. Auden’s influences were plentiful: T. S. Eliot, Emily Dickinson, Gerard Manley Hopkins, Robert Frost, and above all Thomas Hardy. Ironically, future generations of poets, including John Ashbery, W.S. Merwin, James Wright, and James Merrill, would look to Auden as a primary influence in their own poetry.
The first phase, or "chapter" as Auden would call it, of his literary life covered 1927 to 1932. During this time he emerged from the land of English Romanticism, the Lake District. A pamphlet entitled Poems was printed out in 1928 on a hand press with the help of poet and friend Stephen Spender. After spending a year and a half in Berlin, Germany, Auden returned to England to have his first book published. This book, again entitled Poems (1930), was published by Faber and Faber under the direction of T.S. Eliot.
As David Perkins explains in A Modern History of Poetry: Modernism and After, Auden "seemed in the 20’s to be the next step beyond Eliot. The general trend of his writing, regarded as a reaction against Eliot, seemed to be toward accessibility, a more conversational tone, and a freer use of discursive or generalizing language" (151). But the thirties led to a new "chapter" in Auden’s life.
By the 1930’s, Auden, alo...
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... the Pulitzer Prize. This was followed up with the esteemed Bollingen Prize (1954) and Feltrinelli Prize (1957). Auden continued to write with twenty-one more volumes to come. In 1946 Auden became an American citizen.
W. H. Auden deserves his ranking as not only one of the 20th-Century’s greatest poets, but also as one of its most prolific literary authors. Apart from his poetry, Auden wrote reviews, critical articles, and essays ranging from Greek literature and Icelandic sagas to modern poetry and fiction, folklore, children’s literature, psychology, religion, history, biography, light verse, and music. His influence can be compared only to the likes of Eliot, Yeats, and Pound.
WORKS CITED
Auden, W. H. Collected Poems. New York: Vintage International, 1991.
Perkins, David. A History of Modern Poetry: Modernism and After. Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1987.
The War of 1812 otherwise known as the “Forgotten War”, was a three year military conflict between America, Britain and their Native allies. It was a relatively small war that arguably shaped a continent for centuries to come. Around the time of 1812 there was tension in and around America because of several controversial acts that Britain had passed out. Because of the Napoleonic Wars Britain had a “You are either with us or you are against us”, approach to other nations. However the British did whatever it took to get out of a war however that could not happen because of what they were doing. The British had forgotten America after the war of Independence and didn’t regard them as a powerful Nation. Their focus was on France however America managed to tangle themselves in this conflict between the two Nations by trading with the French. America wanted to make some money off France and had engaged in trade a while back. The British, because of their approach of dealing with other nations, had set up an embargo that made American ships pay a duty to the British before they could trade with the French. They had also engaged in what was called impressment in which they would take men of American ships, if the men had even the most vague connection to Britain they would take them hostage and put them on their own boats to go to war for the British. Theses acts angered the Americans and they wanted to go to war with Britain so a new breed of congress and government were put in place. They were called Warhawks, these men were more aggressive and were known to act before thinking. The Battle of Profits town had most probably been the tipping point for going to war, when Sir Governor William Henry Harrison and his militia had attacked P...
Bollard, R. (2013). In the shadow of Gallipoli the hidden history of Australia in World War I. [EBL]. Retrieved from http://www.eblib.com.au/
In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley scrutinizes the Enlightenment era’s pursuit for progress and knowledge as it is seen as morally chaotic for overstepping the natural order idealised by the Romantics. Victor F’Stein’s amibition to overpower the boundaries of nature by attempting to take up God’s role as the creator is enunciated in the metaphor “many excellent natures should owe their being to me”. Victor’s hubris and ambition reflects aspects of the Enlightenment – Shelley criticises the attempts of the age to control and empower natural processes, embodied in Galvani’s experimentation with animal electricity. Victor F’Stein represents humanity’s hubristic ambitions and fondness of knowledge. Shelley uses intertextual reference by characterising F’Stein as the “Modern Day Prometheus”. In Greek Mythology, Prometheus usurped the natural order by the creation of man. Prometheus was punished for for this crime eternally – an eagle eating from his liver; the implications are that nature is having its revenge for upsetting hierarchal order. However, Vi...
Peter Weir’s 1981 film Gallipoli can in every sense of the phrase be called an ‘Australian classic’. The impact and effect this film has had upon the psyche and perspective of several generations of Australians has been significant. Whilst it can be argued that every Australian is aware of the ANZAC legend, and the events that occurred on the Turkish beaches in 1915, Weir’s film encapsulates and embodies a cultural myth which is now propagated as fact and embraced as part of the contemporary Australian identity. The film projects a sense of Australian nationalism that grew out of the 1970’s, and focuses on what it ‘means’ to be an Australian in a post-colonial country. In this way Gallipoli embodies a sense of ‘Australian-ness’ through the depiction of mateship and through the stark contrast of Australia to Britain. A sense of the mythic Australia is further projected through the cinematic portrayal of the outback, and the way in which Australia is presented in isolation from the rest of the world. These features combined create not only a sense of nationalism, but also a mythology stemming from the ANZAC legend as depicted within the film.
Looking Backward is a Utopian novel written by Edward Bellamy. The story is about Julian West, an American who falls into a deep hypnosis induced sleep only to wake up hundred and thirteen years later. When he wakes up, he is still in the same location but in a totally transformed world (Bellamy 11). He has also been changed into a socialist utopia. The book illustrates Bellamy’s views about changing and improving the future hence, bringing out four major themes; advantages of a socialist system, perils of the stock market, use of credit card and engaging the industrial army to curb some occurrences. In his novel, Bellamy uses the term evolution to signify major changes in technology and economy. His views on economy and technology contrast Charles Darwin’s theory: Origin of Species. In this theory Charles acknowledges the 19th Century as an economic century and extends his politico-economic views of progress to the whole realm of vegetable and animal life.
Conclusively, Shelley’s Gothic piece accentuates a cautionary tale of man’s destructive desires of conquering science and the secrets of life. Scott extends Shelley’s premise as he presents our possible future, utterly devoid of nature due to man’s destructive pursuits. The bible states ‘he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow’, reflected by man's destructive desires in both pieces.
Auden. Auden at the time was a visiting professor who spent time reading some of Hayden's works and giving him suggestions and valuable criticisms. Hayden credited Auden for helping him develop his own personal style in writing. After he graduated in 1944 he started his career as an instructor of literature, and Frisk University and then at t...
In June of 1812, the United States declared war on Great Britain for several reasons, the primary of which was the impressment of U.S. Sailors on the high seas for use in the British Navy. Once declared, the United States, under President John Madison, took the initiative and conducted a series of attacks into Canada resulting in the burning of government buildings. The British eventually repelled the attacks and took to the offensive striking at America and setting Washington D.C. ablaze in the summer of 1814. By the time the battle of New Orleans takes place in January of 1815, the Treaty of Ghent had already been signed signaling the official end to the war, however, the speed of trans-Atlantic communication proved too slow to prevent this last battle in the War of 1812. The battle of New Orleans has Major General Andrew Jackson lead U.S. Army regulars, New Orleans citizens, and militiamen from various surrounding states to repel the attacks of British General Edward Pakenham and the infantry troops he commanded (War of 1812, 2012). A series of poor decisions by the British coupled with terrain obstacles, technology and the ability to seize the initiative contributed to their defeat on 8 January 1815. This paper will examine the battle preparations and maneuvers that led to the British defeat and highlight some of the key factors in deciding the outcome of the battle.
The War of 1812, sometimes referred to as “The Second War of Independence,” was one of the bloodiest, yet most pointless wars in American history. After 32 months of Americans fighting for a change in the relationship between Britain and the U.S., the war ended with a treaty that left many of the original conflicts unresolved. Although the war had no obvious victor, it boosted American nationalism and patriotism, something much needed after only 39 years of independence. However, British interferences with American trade, and the cost of war materials had a negative impact on the United State's economy. America’s geographic location, in relation to Canada and New York, played a key role in defense against British attacks. Whoever gained control of the Niagara peninsula that connected these two territories would have an advantage over the other nation.
The War of 1812 was a war between Britain and the United States fought primarily in Upper Canada. It had many causes, few which involved British North America. The results of the war include the fact that there was no clear winner or loser among them. The only real losers in the situation were the Natives in the region. They were driven out of their lands and customs. None of the borders was changed by the war, though many attempts were made. The Treaty of Ghent, which ended the war, did nothing to advance the state of the countries. It went so far as to end the war and put things back the way that they were, but the main causes of the conflict were not addressed or dealt with. In order to evaluate the significance of this war, Canadian victories and losses, as well as overall results, must be analyzed.
While immersed in its beauty, Victor and his creation escaped worldly problems and entered a supernatural bliss. In short, Shelley presents nature as very powerful. It has the power to put the humanity back into man when the unnatural world has stripped him of his moral fiber. In comparison to the pure beauty of nature, the unnatural acts of man are far more emphasized; therefore, the reader is clearly aware of man’s faults and their repercussions. Unfortunately, not even the power of nature could balance the work of man: “the cup of life was poisoned forever.”
The Gallipoli campaign was a military disaster but it is still one of the most important conflicts in which Australia was involved. On 25th April 1915 between 4:30 and 6:30 am the Gallipoli Peninsula was invaded by British, Australian and New Zealand forces. This was to start the long, hard weeks in which the troops were fighting for ground that the enemy controlled in Turkey. They were attempting to gain a supply route to Russia to aid them in repelling the German and Turkish soldiers from their country. I will be discussing the willingness of Australians to volunteer for the war effort and the love and respect they had for their Mother Country, England. I will also discuss how the young, naive soldiers arrived at war not knowing what warfare entailed. They were shocked by the conditions and casualties. I will also discuss the bravery that was shown by the ANZACS in the most dangerous conditions. I will conclude with my reasons of why the Gallipoli campaign holds such value and importance in Australian history and ideology.
The most obvious and well-known theory of the story of Frankenstein is that of a warning to the dangers of science: “ Mary Shelley’s implicit warning against possible dangers inherent in the technological developments of modern science” (Mellor, 1988:114). Shelley was very interested in ...
In a great essence, John Green changed the way authors are respected in the game of writing. He managed to stabilize his popularity, capture the hearts of fans from every background, and deliver influential works of literature that top standardized goals today. Whether it be helping charities with web projects or swaying minds, Green’s inspiration continually effects the 20th century’s today.
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