W.H.Auden's poem

This blog is in response of the  - thinking activity given by Professor Dilip Barad sir. This task is little bit different from other task because in this we have to do queer reading of Auden's poem - September 1, 1939. So let's start,

1) what is queer theory?

Queer theory is a field of critical theory that emerged in the early 1990s out of queer studies often it is about gay and lesbian studies and women's studies. The term can have various meanings depending upon its usage, but has broadly been associated with the study and theorisation of gender and sexual practices that exist outside of heterosexuality, and which challenge the notion that heterosexual desire is ‘normal’. 

2)  In order to create duality in interpretation of the poem (September 1,1939) Auden uses codified language to conceal the underlying in society. Do you agree with this observation?

September 1, 1939, poem by W.H. Auden, published in the collection Another Time (1940). The poem conveys the poet’s emotional response to the outbreak of World War II. The title of the work refers to the date of the German invasion of Poland, which precipitated the war. The title itself suggest that the poem is about second world war. But when we read the biography of Auden we came to know that there is possibility to read this poem as personal poem rather than war poem. And there is hidden message which Auden wants to give to the world. Auden's information.

Aa we know that when poet start writing that time what was the situation in which they write it's became more important to understand poem properly and then only we able to give justice to the poem. But when we read title of poem it is suggest that it is war poem but while reading biography of Auden  we got Idea about his homosexual relationship and that became easy to read this poem as He criticised government and society. And as Eliot says in traditional and individual talent

"Poetry is not a turning loose of emotion, but an escape from emotion; it is not the expression of personality, but an escape from personality".

Yes , We found the hidden message and reason of write this poem in this Morgan Walker's  article. And also through reading his biography and time in which he wrote this poem. W.H. Auden’s “September 1, 1939” can be interpreted as having two messages regarding. On the surface, the poem comments on how the dishonesty and manipulation of government can lead to war. The author uses this primary interpretation as a vessel to mask

and deliver his underlying critique of homophobia. In order to create duality in interpretation of the poem, Auden uses codified language to conceal the underlying theme of the lack of

acceptance of homosexuality in society. The poem creates metaphors, such as a contrast of light and dark and uses implications through historical figures and government to show the offense done to homosexuals. The two interpretations of the poem are able to coexist without

impeding or contradicting one another. By setting up a historical scenario and then

commenting on societal errors, Auden is able to effectively shift tones without harshly criticizing the audience on social injustices.

“September 1, 1939” was written within the first year of Auden’s residence in the United States, and superficially expresses Auden’s political opinions about WWII and his skepticism of governmental authority. The poem contains attacks on a consumer society and has representations of large, abstract and anti-spiritual social machines that exemplify the “lie of authority”. Auden uses historical references and literary devices such as metaphors to help drive his opinion home about his disgust for what he sees as a dishonest government. Concerning the war, Auden believes that the people of the world should be more

truthful to one another. This idea plays into the actions of governments at the time.

Governments used quite a bit of

propaganda during wartime to depict certain groups of people and countries in certain lights. Auden only seeks to suggest that people put more

emphasis in honesty and loyalty in one another. 

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.

In the first stanza , Auden creates a metaphor of light and dark, that in the primary interpretation sets up a contrast between the individuals who are honest and hopeful for the future against those who are corrupt and dishonest. 

LIGHT - Honest- Hope

DARK -  Dishonest - Corrupt

The meaning behind the metaphor in terms of the intolerance of homosexuality interpretation is the light represents those who are accepting and embrace homosexual lifestyle and the dark is those who are intolerant and look down on

homosexuals. So we can say that people live in villages are dark and big cities's people are light. In lines,

 “Waves of anger and fear/Circulate over the bright/And darkened lands of the earth” 

Auden is expressing the feelings of “fear” that are being felt, not only about the fear moving about the corrupt places of the world during war, but over the feelings that

people felt towards the homosexual community. At the time, homosexuality was not openly spoken about, and therefore not openly accepted by society. The feelings of fear represent the feelings that people felt towards the notion of homosexuals because being

openly gay was somewhat of a new concept that was beginning to surface in society. During that time being homosexual was not easy to convinced people but in today's time we saw in big cities people able to accept those kind of relationship and it's became easy but in smaller cities and villages are still not able to accept this kind of relationship.

Auden continues his metaphor of light and dark by stating that “The lights must never go out.” This line means similar things in both interpretations of Auden’s poem. He is trying to express the idea that if love is lost, humans are doomed. In the perspective of war, the love is the honesty and respect between humans, while the homosexual interpretation takes the idea

that if we do not learn to love and tolerate one another, we are doomed. The world must be accepting of all types of people, and the “lights must never go out” are those who are tolerable and accepting of other people. Auden goes on to describe the dark as “conservative”. In short Auden wants to told that stop being controlled by society and government , you are always listen to them and then you loosed your lights of life. He also want to give message that change your opinion and belief according to time. Auden ends his metaphor with the image of an “affirming flame” which in both interpretations use this image to show the strength that Auden feels for emotions about the subjects in which he’s speaking about.

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:

I and the public know

What all schoolchildren learn,

Those to whom evil is done

Do evil in return.

The second stanza introduces an explanation for the day’s events, the kind of story that “accurate scholarship” might provide. Martin Luther’s ideas ultimately drove a whole culture mad, until a child growing up in Linz–Adolf Hitler–inherited a fundamental world view that turned him into a “psychopathic god.” 

Both men were anti-semites but also both spoke against homosexuality. The inclusion of the reference to Martin Luther adds historical validity to the current events and the prosecution that is currently taking place in the times of

war with dishonest governments and the unequal treatment of homosexuals throughout time. Another historical reference that Auden makes is Ninjinsky and Diaghilev. The line speaks of what “ which in the context of the war, Auden uses this reference to emphasize the idea that people seek isolation and avoid love for one another and confrontation. In the context of tolerance for homosexuality, Auden includes this reference because Nijinksky and Diaghilev were homosexuals and the subject Auden uses Nijinsky to speak is love. The “error bred in the bone/of each woman and each

man/Craves what it cannot have” can not only refer to the idea of avoiding confrontation but the “error” can be seen as homosexual nature and the “craving what it cannot have” would be referring to members of the same sex. The other major reference that Auden makes is the

mention of Eros. Essentially Auden states, that like Eros he shows an affirming flame. The inclusion of Eros is used to evoke feelings of compassion that helps to show

humans in a loving light. Eros was the the god of love and sexuality in Greek mythology and by including him in the poem, Auden wants to show the equality in all love around the world. Love is equal ground for all, and people should feel free to love whomever they wish, male or female.

"I will be true to the wife,

I'll concentrate more on my work,"

And helpless governors wake

To resume their compulsory game:

Who can release them now,

Who can reach the deaf,

Who can speak for the dumb?

This stanza can be seen as a people who are controlled and manipulated by their government through propaganda, lies and deception. However, these lines

can also reflect the idea that there are homosexual men and women who force themselves into a false life of heterosexuality who remind themselves repeatedly that they are heterosexual through statements such as these. These men and woman would feel forced to

live this way because of the lack of acceptance of homosexuals at the time. Auden also speaks of “undoing the folded lie , The romantic lie in the brain of the sensual man-in-the- street” which refers to speaking out against the deceptive government. However, the “romantic lie in the brain” could be the idea that some homosexuals have been brainwashed

to act heterosexually and adopt a heterosexual lifestyle. 

Auden saying that "All he has  is a voice” to speak out against these injustices, sends the message that Auden is using this poem as a platform to speak out against the mistreatment of homosexuals. Other references in the poem such as the “international wrong” are applicable in both interpretations as the wrong

and injustices that are being done in the world, either the lying by governmental bodies when referring to the war, or the mistreatment of homosexuals. Early on in the poem, the reference to “Those to whom evil is done,/Do evil in return” refers to Hitler persecuting the Jews, and the wrong that governmental bodies administer on its people will eventually be

reciprocated and the people who were the subject of injustice, will retaliate and even the score. 

The idea of retaliation works in both interpretations of the poem, because just like the idea that the people who are treated wrongly by the government will retaliate, the same holds true for the injusticed homosexuals who are abused and not treated as equals. The idea that the poem is commenting on the inequality of homosexuals in society, works along with the primary interpretation of the poem because in both instances Auden is using the poem to speak out against injustices and seek truth and equality either in government or society.

 Auden’s poem is read primarily as a critique on the dishonesty of government because of the outbreak of war and what was occurring in the world. Since the war is such a significant event, and the poem is written at the brink of the war, it is what the majority of readers is considering when reading this poem. However, Auden’s personal life and the language and references within the poem give evidence to a deeper meaning. Auden loved to

play with language and help people self-reflect by reading his work. By creating a poem with two levels of interpretation Auden is able to speak about two different subjects that he feels very strongly about both of which work together to rally for a more honest tolerable world.

Our first impression or this aa war poem but after reading article of Morgan Walker and rereading of the poem we also  find another meaning of entire poem and there is many symbols and some kind of message which Auden wants to give to the society apart from the war and government.

Thank you :)

Work cited :-

Morgan Walker. “Morgan Walker: A Hidden Message: Auden’s Personal Protest in Time of Wa.” Modern American Poetry, Morgan Walker, 10 Aug. 2013, https://www.modernamericanpoetry.org/criticism/morgan-walker-hidden-message-auden%E2%80%99s-personal-protest-time-war. 

“What Is Queer Theory.” Performance by PHILO notes, PHILO-Notes, PHILO-Notes, 30 Sept. 2010, https://youtube.com/c/PHILOnotes.