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Winnie.

(for Wystan Hugh Auden, 1907-1973)

That evening: your last public reading
in a theatre stacked with sages,
writers, the usual acolytes,
and undergraduates like me,

I heard the crack in your voice
reveal decades of poetry,
when the fleet was in, and the clocks
still ran. Oh yes, you were my man.

Ants would need crampons to tour
the crags on that battered face,
yet at the party, the Eng. Lit.
lecturers' greedy fingers clawed,

one hand for the malt, the other
for your attention. Oh Winnie,
was that the blink of a tired man
or a wink in my direction?

How lovely!

Exactly how I feel about it, Damellon and Andrew.


~ Lizzy

I like this very much.
My father is great reader of Auden, I have sent him copy of this your poem.
He like it very much.

On re-reading this poem, which took me 35 years to get round to, I don't think it's "lovely" at all.
It's so difficult to write anything about a man who was, arguably, the greatest English poet of the 20th century.
Yes, I saw him read, and yes, I've written this down: all that I can offer is an attempt to capture that moment.

I'm not sure if the poem works.

Andrew.

I wouldn't have said it was lovely if I didn't think it was. I read it and that was my reaction. I'll resist offering my first impression the next time.

Andrew~

To be honest, I am really put off by the 'familiar-slang' reference to the Man in what is a reverent homage...it creates a dichotomy of reverence//irreverence and really ruins the message for me.

And, although I like your ant/crampon visual, it has no real connection to the piece. I ask myself: Why ants? and don't see a connection. But again, think it is clever.

Even using 'Wystan' instead of 'Winnie' would be an improvement.

regards,
Laurie

Dear Damellon,
Please don't resist offering your first impression the next, or any other time.
I was heartened by your reply: yet I feel there's unfinished business in the poem, and my view of it.

It's getting late, and I have work tomorrow,
Yours,
Andrew.

Auden may have winked at young men often.
Some men like being winked at.
Whether it was because he was “a tired man” or in a “flirtatious mood” may be the real question.
You may have enjoyed the idea of the wink for many reasons.
If the cheek under his eye was lifting, it was not the action of “a tired man”.
If the eye-lid dropped, perhaps he was tired.
Your poem suggests to me that your ego is looking for his acceptance, as an equal, and his wink to you is a symbol of your supposed superiority over the rest of the crowd in the room.
In this poem at least, you are groping and groveling for elitism. The old youthful intellectual snobbery thing.
Maybe that is why you are uncomfortable with it?
Or maybe you just like being winked at?

I feel there's unfinished business in the poem, and my view of it.

I agree.

Matj

Loved this one... very tender... great line that about the ants... I can imagine them climbing in and out of Auden's crocodile lined face...

Jimmy

To Mat James,
You use bold print for young men. Auden did more than wink at them: his actions were bolder than his words.
My ego wasn't looking for his acceptance: READ THE POEM AGAIN!!
In this poem at least, you are groping and groveling for elitism.

I am comfortable with my unfiinished business: IMHO, it doesn't need much finishing, yet there's more than one old man in the mix.

Andrew.

[quote="Andrew McGeever"]To Mat James,
You use bold print for young men. Auden did more than wink at them: his actions were bolder than his words.
My ego wasn't looking for his acceptance: READ THE POEM AGAIN!!
In this poem at least, you are groping and groveling for elitism.

I am comfortable with my unfiinished business: IMHO, it doesn't need much finishing, yet there's more than one old man in the mix.

Andrew.[/quote]

Gentlemen,
You both confuse me -
Andrew - if YOU feel the poem is unfinished why put it in the public domain?
Mat - you write: "In this poem at least, you are groping and groveling for elitism. The old youthful intellectual snobbery thing."
How do YOU know this - your supposition that you are privvy to the subjective workings of another person's mind is baffling.


I liked most of the piece but I think Alan Alda put her finger on a few things that need looking at.

Red Poppy asks of me:

How do YOU know this - your supposition that you are privvy to the subjective workings of another person's mind is baffling.

Of course, I don't. Maybe even Andrew doesn't?
But why read poetry ?
My response is what I read into it, rightly or wrongly.

Why do you ask this strange question, Red Poppy?
1) Is it because you want an answer? or
2) is it because you want to slap me around a little?

Both are possible interpretations but I would favour (rightly or wrongly)
the second.

But back to the poem;
Andrew, would you prefer honest inaccurate responses, or
polite meaningless ones?

For me the poem works and it took me to a time and place and a few interesting questions about the state of mind of the author, at that time, juxtaposed to his mind now. There is a sense of confusion and loss, almost desolation and despondency.
It therefore leaves this reader in a hightened state of mind. The state of "Questioning".

It is effective.

Matj

"Why do you ask this strange question, Red Poppy?
1) Is it because you want an answer? or
2) is it because you want to slap me around a little?

Both are possible interpretations but I would favour (rightly or wrongly)
the second."

Mat -now who's going through the old youthful, intellectual, feeling sorry for himself thing?

I asked it because I was hoping for an answer and your response above is simply a red-herring - and out of season!
I don't think the question strange at all - it's simply an honest response to your response. Nothing sinister, just a question.
I'd still like to hear your answer.

Red Poppy,,,,,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-HGBID91iw
and just in case you missed it;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMaFlh1DWHc