The Poems

These are the poems which have been set for study.  This is only a small section of all of Auden's work, but they have been selected due to their subject and treatment of People and Politics.

The poems set for study are as follows:​

• ‘O what is that sound which so thrills the ear’ (Oct 1932)
• ‘Spain’ (Apr 1937)
• ‘Epitaph on a Tyrant’ (Jan 1939)
• ‘In Memory of W. B. Yeats’ (Feb 1939)
• ‘September 1, 1939’  (Sept 1939)
• ‘The Unknown Citizen’ (Mar 1939)
• ‘The Shield of Achilles’(1952)

In order to understand the poems it is necessary to understand Auden's context and life, which will give you a stronger understanding of what he is addressing in his poetry.