Lecture 2 W.H.

Auden O What Is That Sound

22.11.2013

O what is that sound which so thrills the ear Down in the valley drumming, drumming? Only the scarlet soldiers, dear, The soldiers coming. O what is that light I see flashing so clear Over the distance brightly, brightly? Only the sun on their weapons, dear, As they step lightly. O what are they doing with all that gear, What are they doing this morning, morning? Only their usual manoeuvres, dear, Or perhaps a warning. O why have they left the road down there, Why are they suddenly wheeling, wheeling? Perhaps a change in their orders, dear, Why are you kneeling? O haven't they stopped for the doctor's care, Haven't they reined their horses, horses? Why, they are none of them wounded, dear, None of these forces. O is it the parson they want, with white hair, Is it the parson, is it, is it? No, they are passing his gateway, dear, Without a visit.

The intimacy associated with the poetry of children is here abused to create the effect of uncanny and terror. Yet being a folk song it is linked with society reality. If we compare this folk song/nursery rhyme with something similar in Eliot which is the Hippopotamus in Eliot we have a sense of aloofness; there is no sense of folk consciousness. Auden approaching this medium in a drastically different way. The medium captures the notion of immediacy. Poem inspired by a paining by Giovanni Paulo. The poem is a dialogue where there is a wife and husband; a male and a female. It is impossible however to know who is talking when. The idea behind it is betrayal. Themes of love and betrayal (also common in Auden) where he criticizes the idealistic Romantic notion of love. Love according to Auden is only love when it is based of the recognition of the otherness of the other person. Note repetition of dear. When Auden speaks about love in this sense he is critical because it forms part of a larger theme in Auden. Theme of disenchanetment reducing the mystical?

Auden was highly critical of magic poetry the poetry of legends, bards etc.. because it is a way how one can be enchanted. For Auden a proper poetry should be parabolic not a sermon. Only if it O it must be the farmer that lives so near. It must be the farmer so cunning, so cunning? is a parble can it move its reader. They have passed the farmyard already, dear, Steven Spender defines Audens stlye as one of the best instructors of the time. Audens style And now they are running. influenced by Freud ad psychology and areas of O where are you going? Stay with me here! psychotherapy. It is from psychology that Auden Were the vows you swore deceiving, deceiving? develops his idea of poetry as a parable. The No, I promised to love you, dear, psychologist maintains that poetry is a neurosis.
But I must be leaving. O it's broken the lock and splintered the door, O it's the gate where they're turning, turning; Their boots are heavy on the floor And their eyes are burning.

Poetry is not instructive but is meant to draw attention to the impersonal unconscious and what is telling us - Art and Psychology