Modernism in Auden's In Memory of W.B Yeats - GetSetNotes (2024)

Objectivity – The poem also projects the believe of modernism which is the objectivity. Eliot brings forth the objectivity in his essay to show the impersonal between a poet and his works. In the poem, the poem shows that Yeats was kept separated from his poems and works implying the objectivity that modern writers believe. The poem is substantially an elegy but it gives a discourse on modernist poetry where a work of art should be objective and when Yeats died his poems were kept separated from the poet as the poet may be physically dead yet his works or a work of art remains immortal. This also reflects the avant garde movement of art for art’s sake where a work of art can exist without the need of a physical presence of an artist.

Symbolism – The poem has so many symbols. Auden tries to bring justice to both Yeats commemoration as well as highlighting the realism of modern society. The symbolism are directed towards the modern society and the images such as “dead of the winter” symbolizes the decaying season or unstable society. The “dark cold day” also implies the day of degenerative society and world. The symbolism has nothing to do with Yeats but Auden tries to commemorate Yeats while also bringing modern realism to the surface. The “brokers are roaring like the beast” actually symbolizes the politicians who wants to rise in power. The “cell of himself” symbolizes the prison of mind and lack of freedom. The “dogs of the Europe bark” is a metaphorical symbol for corrupt politicians and statesman referring to their speeches.

Idea of Modern Poetry– The modern poetry is also well executed in the poem itself. The poem itself shows the meaning of modern poetry and the execution of modernist poetry. The poet tells that the poems of Yeats after his death will be analyzed and criticized by different people. It reflects the idea of modern poetry where a poet’s physical presence is unimportant and modernist texts should only look at the text itself for meanings are presented within the text itself. In simple words, modern poetry is a text oriented reading without the need of poet’s presence. It is clearly seen in this lines :

“And wholly given over to unfamiliar affections,
To find his happiness in another kind of wood
And be punished under a foreign code of conscience.
The words of a dead man
Are modified in the guts of the living.”

Criticisms on Modern Society – The poet has also targeted the modern society which is superficial and sophisticated while uplifting the contributions of Yeats to the modern society and art. The shows the disturbing apocalypse of the modern society which is fear where the politicians are spreading their beliefs and ideology and the poor are suffering which they are accustomed to it as well as the mind of every individual is chained to a prison and lost their freedom. The poet shows the fear of modern society while also uplifting Yeats that the day Yeats died is like the day one will remember when one did something different on that day implying that the day Yeats died is also the day the society remembered it was an apocalypse of Second World War disaster. The poet has also tried to bring forth the superficiality of society where Yeats has contributed poems for the society yet it did nothing for them for they are still engaged to their own world “For poetry makes nothing happen”. It shows the helplessness of the poets and intellectuals who could not do anything for the society.

Melancholia and Optimism Towards Menacing World War II – The poem also shows certain level of melancholia towards the danger of World War II. As the society moves in superficiality and the intellectuals are “disgrace” while looking at each other in “frozen eyes” the poet commemorates Yeats who has still given a sense of hope to the modern world. Yeats has taught the man to rejoice and pursue happiness amidst the social, political and economical turbulence in the society. This give a sense of melancholia as it is disturbing for the society where intellectuals and poems do nothing to benefit the society in the times of apocalypse. But the poet seems to find hope and rejoice like Yeats and asks him to still teach man how to set themselves from a world of prison and be optimistic about the future and praise every moment of life.