As I Walked Out One Evening †W.H.Auden Essay

The poem in study is As I Walked out One Evening by W.H. Auden. His views projected in this poem are suggested to have non change since the time he composed this piece. Unlike his other poems, this piece was never revised. Here, Auden exposes the two sides of romance done the manipulation of narrative voices, the poet, the drive inrs melody and the chiming of the quantify personified.As I walked out one change sur depend is composed in a traditional ballad clear. Its consists of 15 quatrain stanzas conforming to an abcb rhyme scheme. The masculine end rhyme employed gives more(prenominal) freedom of wording. It is through these settings that exhibits the song-like quality of a ballad and by this lyrical tune, Auden suggests the theme and theories examined in the poem are of childlike logic and knowledge.With honorable mention to the structure of the poem, it comprises of 15 stanzas split into three distinctive voices. The first and endure being the narration by the poet himself, framing the Lovers nervous strain and the menacing voice of the clock. Through the beginning narration by the persona, W.H. Auden sets the substance of nostalgia with a walk down Bristol Street. The mention of Bristol Street creates the ghost of reminiscence as it is a venue of Audens childhood. The contrast of crowds upon the sidewalk that use to be fields of harvest wheat showcases the change taken place during time-lapse.Down by the brimming river, the poet hears a lover speak love has no ending. The transition of narrative position from the sign persona to the Love Song takes place through the marking of anatropous commas. The rhythm of the poem also changes away from iambic tri-meter when the love song begins. The love song is hyperbolized, injected with imageries and unconventional similes to exaggerate the affections of a nave lover. With suggestions of the spiritual ability to love till China and Africa meet, Auden captures their simplistic and unrealistic m inds. The silly and lighthearted tone shown through the alliteration of the line pinkish-orange sing in the street.In addition to undermining the forces of nature, the lovers song seem to believe its love to be pure and insubordinate to time, for in my arms I hold TheFlower of the Ages, And the first love of the world. This love is expressed to be ageless, the Flower of the Ages a biblical reference to the year of maturity in which a woman skunk marry. In a sense, the song provokes that the incredibility of love is beyond piece entity, but of something greater.However, the tone shifts in the 6th stanza, turning to the narration of the clock and time personified. They seem to be rebuking the ideals embodied by the Lovers Song as they began to whirr and chime, an onomatopoeia that creates the image of violent and unsettling cuckold. The wind that could take off them apart, hit their faces with a chill. The clock conveys the negative perception of nave love as it rings out a se ries of advice to the lovers.The times advice is like a progression of a 4 seance counselling, speaking to us readers as if we are the young lovers. Marked by the phrase O, he begins with a gentle coaxing. O let not time deceive you, the idealism borne by the love song shall break through times passing. O plunge your reach in the water as if washing ones face in the morning. Wake up from the hyperbolized world of love to reality. Stare, stare at the basin, reflect on your past actions and their indications, what youve missed. O look, look in the reflect examine your present self. Finally O stand, stand at the window, see your partner through the barrier of glass. Unclouded and unaffected by cruel words of a quarrel, in the peace of ones own mind, then we shall see that we are all hypocrites in love.The overall tone of the clock is quite dark and Auden uses the technique of contrasting metaphors to drive the negative effects of time in idealism. The green valley and horrible snow signifying the presence of time will blush outtually break evanescent joy. The glacier knocks in the cupboard, the desert sighs in the bed, the consequences of time will fill ones privacy and comfort, perhaps even home. Until it becomes overwhelming, one should break down, itll open a lane to the land of the dead where qualities of life we at once known are twisted into a paradoxical world embodied by stanza 12.There is however, a consolation to these negative aspects, that if we wakeup in time, we shall learn to love truly, for life remains a blessing, even when were too focused on our distress. Throughout this entire process, the speech suggests the lack of presence of the first persona. But this theory is contradicted by the bear stanza where the poet narrates. It was late, late in the evening, the repetition a habit picked up from the clocks speech. The persona was watching the whole time, now knows better, that the rich love of the brimming river, actually has a lo t more depth.W.H. Auden through the shift of narrative voices explores the different perspective of love. This technique shows us not only one sided opinions but various views. And readers are shown, that perhaps what is in good order in the minds of one, may vary to the eyes of another. The image of romance is frequently twisted to extremes by society. As human beings, we have the tendency to form opinions based on our own favours. To an extent, this poem may resemble a satire to society. Humans tend to be hypocrites and very good liars to even our own minds to justify our wrongdoings.