In Memory of W. B. Yeats was first published in New Republic in 1939. The poem was written by W. H. Auden to mourn the death of W. B. Yeats, the great Irish poet and a contemporary of Auden, in January 1939. The poem is divided into three sections, each forming a separate poetic unit. The relationship among these units is not very close and organic, as each section is based on somewhat independent strains of thought. This poem is one of the best in a set of poems grouped together as "Occasional Poem" in Auden's 1940 volume, Another Time.
Yeats died in France early in 1939, at the age of seventy-four. Throughout the 1930s, he was recognized by poets often associated with Auden's group as the greatest poet in English literature of his time. Poets like C. Day Lewis imitated his style extensively; Auden himself modeled September 1, 1939 on Yeats' Easter, 1916. MacNeice wrote a critical study of Yeats, and Spender was greatly influenced by him. Yeats had published these poets in his Oxford Book of Modern English Verse, praising them generously but expressing distaste for what he saw as their fanatical doctrinaire quality.
The poets themselves were a little embarrassed by having to admire someone who believed in things they did not, like magic, reincarnation, cyclical theory of history, romantic love, and a good society consisting of aristocrats and peasants. It is important to understand the typical attitude of English intellectuals towards Ireland and the Irish tradition, which was partly one of profound historical guilt and partly an attitude of boredom and irritation. T. S. Eliot perhaps summed it up best when he spoke not of Ireland but of Scotland, praising the Scottish poet Hugh McDiarmid while referring to "small oppressive nationalities." The small nationalities have indeed been oppressed, and the Irish claimed a charm from their provenance.
One of Ireland have I come. Great hatred, little room.
Auden faced several problems in writing this commemorative poem. He needed to state, or rather imply, that Yeats came from a rather wild, insignificant little country, whose main importance for Auden was that it "hurt (Yeats) into poetry." Auden also had to convey that what Yeats said in poetry, if translated into prose, was mostly silly or dangerous. Furthermore, Yeats' mode of life, characterized by social and literary success promoted by flattering women like Lady Gregory, Olivia Shakespeare, and Dorothy Wellesby, was somewhat like that of a country curate admired by gentle spinsters. Yet, Auden had to convey a sense of Yeats' superhuman mastery in the use of words. This great poem is partly about Yeats himself, emphasizing the theme that one should not try to judge the things he was saying or the man he was. We all say silly things and are all silly people. Listen to the magnificent noise he was making.
Summary
Section I
The poem describes the dramatic setting of Yeats' death, stating that it was "the dead of winter" when "the brooks were frozen, the airports almost deserted." All instruments agreed that "the day of his death was a dark cold day." Auden uses a series of bleak images to underscore the indifference of nature to Yeats' death, establishing the poem's mood and the poet's attitude. Auden ironically views Yeats' death as an ordinary occurrence that did not affect the order of things:
Far from his illness The wolves ran on through the evergreen forests, The peasant river was untempted by the fashionable quays...
Auden introduces a central idea:
Now he is scattered away a hundred cities And wholly given over to unfamiliar affections... The words of a dead man Are modified in the guts of the living.
The poet as an artist becomes independent of his work. He dies physically, but his poetry lives after him, becoming what his readers make of it.
In stanzas iii, iv, and v of Section I, the imagery shifts from nature to that of modern urban civilization, taking the poem further from the convention of pastoral elegy. Now, the central image is that of "a hundred cities of brokers roaring like beasts on the floors of the Bourse." The poem ends with the refrain:
All the instruments agree The day of his death was a dark cold day.
Section II
This shortest unit of the poem introduces another strand of thought:
Now Ireland has her madness and her weather still. For poetry makes nothing happen.
Despite Yeats' great poetry, Ireland remains the same. Poetry fails to produce revolutions or societal changes. What survives after a poet is his style—his manner of saying rather than the content of his poetry. This style, manner, and language of the poet come to dwell in the subliminal depths of the human psyche, "where executives would never want to tamper it." The uniqueness of poetry lies in the manner in which it objectifies the human condition: it survives as a way of happening, a mouth.
Section III
This section is compact and formal. Building on the thought of the previous section, Auden expands it further. With Yeats' death, the "Irish vessel" is "emptied of its poetry." Time, indifferent to character faults or physical charm, "worships language." It forgives poets like Kipling and Paul Claudel for their views because they wrote well. The language of a poet redeems his views and oddities of character.
The second half of Section III deals with the imminence of World War II, the year of Yeats' death being 1939. The mystery and drama of Yeats' death are now set against a world overhung with the clouds of war:
In the nightmare of the dark All the dogs of Europe bark, And the living nations wait, Each sequestered in its hate.
Critical Appreciation and Analysis
Auden's poem In Memory of W. B. Yeats is an elegy written to mourn Yeats' death, but it differs from the conventional elegy. Traditionally, in an elegy, all of nature is represented as mourning the death. Here, nature goes on its course indifferent and unaffected. The great poet's death goes unnoticed by both man and nature; human life and nature continue as usual.
In a traditional elegy, death is glorified and considered a great loss for mankind. However, Auden does not glorify Yeats. He even calls him "silly" and suggests that his poetry could "make nothing happen." Thus, Auden reverses traditional elegiac values and treats them ironically.
The poem contains two basic, related points: a poet's work ultimately becomes independent of him, as he has no control over its interpretation by posterity; and its role in society is passive. The dramatization of Yeats' death in the first section is part of the mystery of a poet's destiny, reinforcing the idea that the external world is irrelevant to the internal world of poetry. The initial sections deny that personal lives have an impact on the world.
The third and last section is the most formal. The first section uses iambic lines of unequal length, divided into verse blocks of unequal length, creating a formal and deliberately contrived casualness. The second section's blank verse is conventional. The seven-syllable lines of the last section move formally like a funeral march, balancing major and minor stresses.
Conclusion
In Auden's poem, the imminence of World War II is dealt with in the second half of Section III. The mystery and drama of Yeats' death are now set against a world overhung with the clouds of war:
In the nightmare of the dark All the dogs of Europe bark And the living nations wait, Each sequestered in its hate...
During wartime, poets explore hidden truths, delving into the subliminal depths. With their powerful manner of expression, they can persuade humanity to rejoice even in the face of war. Only the poet can sing of human success and cause the healing fountain to start in "the deserts of the heart."
Yeats is only incidentally the subject of the elegy. The poem embodies Auden's views on the destiny of a poet and the value of poetry as art. In Memory of W. B. Yeats is a modern poem in its imagery, concept, and verification. Auden shows considerable ingenuity in using blank verse, iambic lines of unequal length, half-rhymes, and feminine endings.
The thematic strength of this poem lies in balancing the truth that poetry can do almost nothing in the material world but can do almost everything in the spiritual world, transcending man's fate. There are few finer examples in the English language of irony as celebration.
In Memory of W. B. Yeats Themes
Death
In Memory of W. B. Yeats is an elegy, a poem written in memory of a person who has passed away. Death is at the center of the poem, but the way Auden deals with it is unique. The first section contrasts the natural world’s indifference to Yeats’ death with the human reaction of mourning. It begins with a stark portrayal of the winter landscape at the time of Yeats' death, emphasizing how life continues despite his passing. Auden presents the inevitability of death but also the lasting influence of the poet’s words, highlighting the transformation of Yeats from a person into an enduring poetic voice.
Legacy
The theme of legacy is crucial as Auden examines what remains after a poet's death. He asserts that Yeats' work will continue to live on, evolving as it is read by new generations. Auden underscores the idea that a poet’s influence extends beyond their lifetime through their words, which adapt and persist in the living. This exploration of legacy highlights the enduring power of poetry and the ways in which a poet's work can outlast their physical presence, influencing and inspiring future readers and writers.
Nature’s Indifference
The poem juxtaposes human emotions with the natural world’s indifference. The winter setting at the time of Yeats' death symbolizes nature’s lack of response to human loss. This contrast emphasizes the disconnect between human significance and the natural world, suggesting that while individuals and their accomplishments may seem monumental to humans, they are insignificant to nature. This theme of indifference reflects the idea that life and death are natural processes, indifferent to human emotions and achievements.
Art and Its Impact
Auden delves into the role and impact of art in society, questioning the power of poetry to effect change. He famously declares, "poetry makes nothing happen," suggesting that while poetry may not directly alter political or social realities, it still holds significant value. Auden explores the idea that poetry's impact lies in its ability to express human experiences and emotions, to articulate truths, and to provide solace and insight. This theme underscores the intrinsic worth of art, even if its effects are not immediately tangible or practical.
Quotes
- “He disappeared in the dead of winter: The brooks were frozen, the airports almost deserted, And snow disfigured the public statues.”
- “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.”
- “You were silly like us; your gift survived it all: The parish of rich women, physical decay, Yourself. Mad Ireland hurt you into poetry. Now Ireland has her madness and her weather still, For poetry makes nothing happen: it survives In the valley of its making where executives Would never want to tamper, flows on south From ranches of isolation and the busy griefs, Raw towns that we believe and die in; it survives, A way of happening, a mouth.”
- “Follow, poet, follow right To the bottom of the night, With your unconstraining voice Still persuade us to rejoice; With the farming of a verse Make a vineyard of the curse, Sing of human unsuccess In a rapture of distress; In the deserts of the heart Let the healing fountain start, In the prison of his days Teach the free man how to praise.”