W.H. Audens Poems and Homosexuality Essay - 2834 Words

W.H. Audens Poems and Homosexuality W. H. Auden published â€Å"This lunar beauty† in 1930; he published â€Å"Now through night’s caressing grip† in 1935, and he published â€Å"Lay your sleeping head, my love† in 1937 (Auden 16; 41; 51). â€Å"[I]t has been argued that the first part of the twentieth century’s culture is dominated by attempts to keep homosexuality hidden, †¦ [and a] number of homosexual writers in the period maintain public silence about their sex lives, and dramatize homosexual themes indirectly, if at all† (Caserio). While it’s unclear whether Auden’s abovementioned 1930s poems dramatize homosexual themes, they do share obscure settings and references to wandering, clandestine lovers who seek healing, safety, and freedom. The†¦show more content†¦Fortunately, the soul has escaped from daytime into a place that â€Å"[k]eeps other time[,]† and â€Å"like a dream[,]† this place allows the soul the safety and freedo m of expressing its latent, subconscious desires. However, this new place has its flaws, too: But this was never A ghost’s endeavour Nor finished this, Was ghost at ease; And till it pass Love shall not near The sweetness here Nor sorrow take His endless look. (16-24) The soul didn’t have the initial goal of only being able to express its love under the faint light of the moon, and when this faint light changes to the glaring light of the sun, the soul is sorrowful that its love can no longer be openly expressed. It finds temporary healing in this lunar beauty, but only â€Å"till it pass[es;]† after that, the soul once again has to be fickle and unwillingly keep a measured distance from its love. A similar sentiment is expressed in â€Å"Now through night’s caressing grip†: Now the ragged vagrants creep Into crooked holes to sleep: †¦ Awkward lovers lie in fields†¦ May sleep’s healing power extend Through these hours to our friend. Unpursued by hostile force,†¦ Calmly till the morningShow MoreRelatedThe Unknown Citizen by W.H.Auden1320 Words   |  5 PagesThe poem â€Å"The Unknown Citizen† by W.H. Auden is a poem with a strong message to a wide audience. It portrays a political system’s control over its citizen. The poem is telling us we are a product of our countries, we are nothing but a number of digits to be identified. The poem revolves around the life of the unknown citizen, JS/07/M/378, who was granted a monument by the government in honor of his flawless life in an un-free society. He is by all means the perfect citizen, the citizen who has devoted