Preview

An Analysis of the Poem Spain by W. H. Auden

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
283 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
An Analysis of the Poem Spain by W. H. Auden
What is Auden trying to achieve in writing this poem?

First of all, Auden is asking to meditate on the relationship between the past, the present and the future. The poem refers to the past as "History is the operator" People should not be limited by the past and it should help them to make the future -> inspiration from the past (first part of the poem). "Tomorrow the enlarging of consciousness by diet and breathing" (plus all the lines on "Tomorrow") indicate hope that humanity will draw from the creative past instead of destruction. The final lines are saying to act now in the present, not wait for History to solve everything. Once the momen has passed, you cannot offer help nor ask for forgiveness.
Auden is also mobilizing "the nations" to get engaged in the war. And also inspire personal implication of the people of spain and europe.
Overall, this poem is ambiguous, Auden doesn't take sides which makes this poem a special and a powerful representation of the Spanish Civil War. He shows the rights and wrongs on both sides (republican and nationalist).
He also shows the contrast before, during and after the war (yesterday, today and tomorrow). Before war is the time for creation, invention and offering global universal history.
Some of the lines that are the most convincing in convincing us of the significance of Spain's Civil War are in stanza 18 -> "the menacing shapes of out fever are precise and alive..." This stanza describes bery well the horror, terror, destruction that the war has brought upon the people. The "war thoughts" have replaced the normal everyday thoughts about the "medicine ad and the brochure of winter cruises".
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    Good vs. Evil, Wars in "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles
    • 1167 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Good vs. Evil, Wars in "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles

    This passage shows that wars go on around the world, all the time people are battling a…

    • 1167 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    An Analysis Of Wystan Hugh Auden's Poem Musee Des Beaux Arts
    • 1394 Words
    • 6 Pages

    An Analysis Of Wystan Hugh Auden's Poem Musee Des Beaux Arts

    Since the poem was publish during the late 1930, Auden must have wrote his poem near the end of the great depression. Auden observe a time of great famine and misery. Auden saw the whole world was affected by the great depression and many people were unable to feed themselves or their families. Some suffered more than others during the great depression. The wealthy that kept their money saw how the rest of the world was distraught. Over a span of nine years the whole world understood that in times people will suffer and there is nothing that one can do to help. The great depression mostly shaped the poem’s…

    • 1394 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Horror Of War In Erich Maria Remarque's All Quiet On The Western Front
    • 484 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Horror Of War In Erich Maria Remarque's All Quiet On The Western Front

    Throughout history, war has been constantly evolving. Over time, it has taken a new less glorious form. World War One was one of the most devastating and transformative events in human history. In Erich Maria Remarque’s book, All Quiet on the Western Front, he depicts the horrors of “the great war” by showing the complete disregard for human life in modern warfare. This war modeled the way that any future war would be fought. It would shape human history by completely changing the game of warfare and people’s opinions of it. Remarque shows, from his point of view, the terrors that happen on a daily basis on the front lines, and away from it, of World War One. World War One changed the perception of war in a big way and opened the eyes of so many people to the horrors of modern warfare.…

    • 484 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Anti-Imperialism Editorial: Spanish American War
    • 497 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Anti-Imperialism Editorial: Spanish American War

    The Spanish American War is simply an abomination of American morals and ideals. Spain and the United States are currently in conflict, as a result of American intervention in Cuba. America has yet again impressed its indomitable will upon fledgling nations, and in this case, one that did not even need “help” especially since it was already under Spanish control, regardless of how relaxed or ineffective that role may have been.…

    • 497 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    John Knowles A Separate Peace
    • 2399 Words
    • 10 Pages

    John Knowles A Separate Peace

    "Everyone has a moment in history which belongs particularly to him. It is the moment when his emotions achieve their most powerful sway over him, and afterward when you say to this person " the world today" or "life" or "reality" he will assume that you mean this moment, even if it is fifty years past. The world, through his unleashed emotions, imprinted itself upon him and he carries the stamp of that passing moment forever." (Knowles, 32)…

    • 2399 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    What Technique Does Auden Use to Tell the Story in ‘1 September 1939’?
    • 829 Words
    • 4 Pages

    What Technique Does Auden Use to Tell the Story in ‘1 September 1939’?

    The first stanza is written about the present day and takes place in an American bar which would lead to reader to think that maybe Auden is out socialising and enjoying himself. However, it begins to develop quite a solemn and negative tone as he describes the time before the war as being “Of a low dishonest decade.” This creates strong imagery for the reader and could be implying that the betrayal and deceit of people that are in power has built up to this world war. Another use of imagery is when Auden mentions the “Faces along the bar cling to their average day.” This demonstrates how desperate society is to just carry on with their repetitive, dull lives without any complications. It also shows the reader how people went into denial about the war because they were scared of how it would affect them.…

    • 829 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Homage to Catalonia Essay Example
    • 1292 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Homage to Catalonia Essay Example

    In the beginning chapters of the book he describes the day-to-day activities as a militiaman on the frontlines near Barcelona, usually these accounts of war were more comical than eventful. I most noted his accounts of the actions of the Spanish militiamen during wartime. He would often revere the Spanish for their friendliness and amiability, but he was often infuriated by their careless ignorance of war, and in the first chapter even saying the Spanish are good at many things but not at making war. He also talks about the poor ammunition and rifles they received. Usually the rifles dated back to the late 19th century and the sights, rifling, and sheer condition of the guns were so…

    • 1292 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Conflict with Macbeth and World War 1 Poetry
    • 2002 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Conflict with Macbeth and World War 1 Poetry

    During this essay I am going to write about the many diverse ways in which conflict is presented in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Wilfred Owen’s Poetry of World War 1. I will be comparing the ways in which Macbeth and 3 poems written by Owen; Mental Cases, The Next War and Dulce Et Decorum Est, link with each other. Macbeth is a play written in 1606 by Shakespeare who wrote plays to entertain his audience. On the other hand, Owen was a soldier in World War 1 when he wrote famous poems; he wrote them to tell us about the tragedies of war and he expressed his thoughts and feelings about war and conflict. Owen’s poems are influenced by his own experiences of war.…

    • 2002 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Spanish Civil War
    • 2462 Words
    • 10 Pages

    Spanish Civil War

    In this investigation, “How foreign involvement affected the Spanish Civil War?” will be evaluated. In this investigation the two sides that fought in the war, Republican and Nationalist, will be evaluated, based of success due to foreign involvement. This investigation explores both sides’ points of view on the war, and clearly shows how the foreign involvement benefited or hurt these sides. In the investigation the sources vary from textbooks, books, newspaper articles and academic journals. These will be used to evaluate the impact on the war by foreign involvement.…

    • 2462 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Similarities Between The Spanish American War
    • 1105 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Similarities Between The Spanish American War

    Both of these wars have been very important in U.S history and have shaped America to be as strong and respected as we are today. Throughout this essay, one can infer that the Spanish American War and World War 1 are different because of the reasons for the wars, weapons, casualty numbers, and who the wars were against. On the other hand, the wars are similar because of the battle strategies, sinking of ships, the use of propaganda, and the final results. These wars are very distant in comparison, but there are many similarities that connects the relationship between the Spanish-American War and World War…

    • 1105 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    On The Duty Of Civil Disobedience: Thoreau, Gandhi, And King
    • 428 Words
    • 2 Pages

    On The Duty Of Civil Disobedience: Thoreau, Gandhi, And King

    Henry David Thoreau wrote the essay “On the Duty of Civil Disobedience” which gives his reasons for disliking the war which he though was to bring a surplus of slavery. In the essay it describes how he protests against slavery and thought it was wrong to own another human being for profit and labor. In the essay Thoreau discusses his opposition to the American Spanish war and he with others in the United States thought this war was an unjust war.…

    • 428 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Summary Of The Poem For A Duro
    • 294 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Summary Of The Poem For A Duro

    This diction is what introduces and reinforces the theme. The poem refers to Spain in 1965, so I did some research on that time period. From…

    • 294 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Poem Analysis Of 'The Colonel' By Carolyn Forche
    • 1318 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Poem Analysis Of 'The Colonel' By Carolyn Forche

    Unfortunately, this poem was written in the wake of a gruesome civil war in El Salvador. Some even describe it as “one of the bloodiest political contests in Latin America’s recent history...that cost near 80,000 lives” (Sprenkels…

    • 1318 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Causes Spanish Civil War
    • 844 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Causes Spanish Civil War

    During the years previous to the war, Spain had a lot of political instability. Most think that the Left was more responsible for this than the right, for various reasons. Fro example between 1933 and 1936 the Left became very divided, which led to a lot of clashes between partied, within the same movement, preventing them from reaching any agreements. The Socialists refused to cooperate and Anarchist wouldn’t join the Popular Front. Also the Left Wing was determined not to stay passive like their Italian and German counterparts. All this created a lot of tension between parties, which led to an inevitable confrontation. There was also the introduction of a variety of extremist reforms. Some of these were like divorce being allowed, Jesuits being expelled, and others. However these reforms on their own didn’t do much, it was the fact that they were so radical that upset the Right Wing. If this weren’t enough, when the Right came to power again, it made yet another radical change; they took all the reforms away. This instability eventually would lead to both sides being angry. However, politics in Spain were very influenced by the military, and it was because of the split in it that the Spanish Civil War broke out.…

    • 844 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    What Were the Causes and Concequences of the Spanish Civil War? Essay Example
    • 2255 Words
    • 9 Pages

    What Were the Causes and Concequences of the Spanish Civil War? Essay Example

    Paul Preston claims that Spain’s 19th and early 20th century played a significant role in the causes of the Spanish Civil War. Preston argues that there was a build-up to social tension due to Spain’s late industrialization and due to Spain’s failure to follow Britain’s and France’s economic and political development. Spain’s refusal to enter the First World War had benefited her. Spain was able to sell to the Entente and allied powers, causing the boom of her coal, steel and ship building industries. However, Basque and Catalan industrialists wanted more political influence. Workers were angered because the export industry had led to shortages. The army was also angry about the loss of Cuba in 1898 and begun to offer themselves as a reforming institution. This increased political and social tension. The landed class was under the threat of a possible takeover from an unlikely alliance of the army, the capitalists and the workers. Preston argues that such an alliance could have brought the changes that Spain required. However, the…

    • 2255 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More

Related Topics