O What is that Sound - WH Auden Context Flashcards
Examine the context of the poem
- This poem was written in 1936 - 3 years before WW2 began. Interestingly, the approach of the soldiers could reflect the approach of war. However, this could go deeper; at this point, Jews were already being persecuted by the Nazi party, and there are definite parallels between the couple being specifically pursued by the soldiers and the ‘witch-hunt’ for Jews during the Nazi rule.
- Auden’s political sympathies inspired him to go to Spain in 1937 to observe the Spanish Civil War. In 1939, Auden and Isherwood emigrated to the United States. This was a controversial move, regarded by some as a flight from danger on the eve of war in Europe. In New York, Auden met poet Chester Kallman who would be his companion for the rest of his life. Auden taught at a number of American universities and, in 1946, took US citizenship.
- He continued to publish poetry including ‘The Age of Anxiety’ (1947) for which he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize. He collaborated with Kallman on the libretto for Stravinsky’s opera ‘The Rake’s Progress’ (1951). From 1956 to 1961 he was professor of poetry at Oxford University.
Explain the narrative voice of the poem
• Narrative Voice (Point of View):
o This poem has two narrators, one who desperately questions out of fear and a sense of urgency, while the other reassuringly answers and gives hope to the reader – like a dialogue. It could also be argued that the first speaker is a woman, while the second is a man; they could also be married. This can be proved by the line, “I promised to love you”.
o Similarly it could be interpreted as a conversation between a parent and child
Explain the form of the poem
o The form of the poem refers to a question, ‘what type of poem is it?’.
o OWITS is a poem about the universality of war through the use of war affecting the lives of the couple in the poem causing them to run away. There is a sense of betrayal too depending on who you choose to be the first voice and second voice.
o The poem adopts the ballad form. This is a 18th-19th century form which is part of folk tradition. It is a typical form for Auden with many of his other poems using it such as O Where Are You Going.
o The imitation of ballad form is used to reflect upon the subject matter of war: there is no time (obscure time choice).
o It is recognisably in ballad form due to the consistent four beats (in musical terms) for every line. Each stanza is four lines long.
Explain the structure and language of the poem
• Structure
o The structure explores how the material in the poem has been arranged. It describes the shape of the stanzas, sound patters, any musical references and the rhyming patter too.
o OWITS uses a quatrain rhyming patter of ABAB. This reflects the ‘drumming’ of the soldiers.
o Musically, the poem has four beats to every line. This helps to emulate the sound of drums and the marching of the soldiers developing tension the further on into the poem.
o The rhythm uses tetrameter alternating between iambics (U /) and anapaests (U U /). There are four feet to every line.
o The main point to notice with the structure is the rhythmic devices used above which emphasise the sound the soldiers are making being marching and drumming. This brings the silent listener closer to the action making us fear for the couple’s safety even more.
o There is a degree of regularity with the syllable count for every stanza. However, there are an erratic number of syllables on every line. For example, stanza one has 10, 9, 8 and 5.
o The first two lines of every stanza (except the last which is is third person) features the women as the voice. The second voice is the man. However, we later find out that the voices can be switched to produce a different meaning to the poem seeing that Auden deliberately doesn’t specify who is speaking what lines. For language analysis, I will refer to voice one as the women and voice two as the man.
• Language
o The language in a poem describes the effect of individual words and phrases. Below are the main points about the language used in OWITS sound stanza by stanza.
o Before I get things rolling, it is important to mention that the ‘O’ in ‘O What Is That Sound’ is deliberately archaic. This helps to produce a vague time period as well as other linguistic techniques.
Explain the genre and style of the poem
• Genre and Style:
o The poem is a ballad, and written in traditional ballad form with two narrators questioning and answering each other
o Written in the inter-bellum period, the poem talks about war and the sacrifices and rationale changes a person undergoes
o One could assume that the poem is set in Europe while the persecution of Jews was taking place by the Nazi party
• Setting:
o The setting in this poem is that of a hillside town, and we can be sure of this as we see the phrase “down in the valley,” and “over the distance”. Also, this town seems to be pretty rural, as described are a “farmyard”, “the road down there,” and “horses”. We know little of the couple’s neighbours; just that nearby live a doctor, pastor and farmer, who apparently has done something “cunning”
• Themes:
o Auden proposes a couple of themes in this poem. A key theme includes the disempowerment of the individual within a political society
o This is referred to in the relationship between events on a macro scale (the political disagreement of war) and events in a micro scale (betrayal within the marriage of the two characters)
o This may also allude to the Christian connection of the betrayal of Jesus by Judas
o Auden implies that the knowledgeable narrator is a rebel, and the naive narrator does not know this
o However, the rising tension (increasing modality) and the realisation of what is actually happening “O where are you going? Stay with me here!”
