Storytelling in W H Auden's, O What is That Sound

I will be writing about ‘O What Is That Sound’ and the different techniques that Auden uses to tell the story. Cleverly the poem can be interpreted in more than one way depending on how you read the poem. The poem has two voices off a husband and wife. It tells the story of soldiers coming for this man that have been sent by his wife. One of the ways that Auden tells the story is through the juxtaposition of language at the start of the poem and at the end. At the start the character seems almost naïve about the situation and very childlike. The word “O” is like an exclamation of excitement. However at the end of the poem this repetition of “O” seems more panicked and alarmed. This is significant because it adds tension and suspense. This also links to the repetition of the word “dear.” At first it comes across as a reassurance, but quickly changes to a patronising tone. This is a clear indication that maybe his wife is not on his side and he has been betrayed by her. Another juxtaposition of language is used as at the start of the poem it says “They step lightly” however in the last stanza it says “Their boots are heavy on the floor.” Again showing that at the start there seemed to be no obvious danger and links to the point that the husband was very naïve. At the end however the word “heavy” suggests there is anger and a great force and possibly that there is a large quantity of soldiers. Auden has written the poem with a clear rhythm which matches the beat of the drum of the soldiers. It’s important as it represents time and the pace of the soldiers. On top of this the fact that they start “down in the valley” highlights that the characters are looking down at the soldiers and are above them which shows a hierarchy; Which is ironic because when they meet face to face it is the soldiers who have the hierarchy. The wife plays a significant role in the telling of the story as when the soldiers start to come close she says “I